Arbitrator Rules Chicago Police Must Abide By Vaccine Mandate

CHICAGO — An arbitrator ruled City Hall's vaccine mandate for all city employees applies to unions representing police employees, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday.

Chicago Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 officials sued to block the Lightfoot administration from enforcing the vaccine requirement. A Cook County judge pressed pause on the city's Dec. 31 deadline for workers to either get vaccinated or get placed on no-pay status until an arbitrator ruled on the union's grievance.

On Wednesday, arbitrator George Roumell Jr. denied the union's grievances and ruled police department employees have until March 13 to get a first vaccination dose and April 13 for the second jab.

The mayor said she hopes the ruling will signal to police union members "who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated."

When asked about the ruling Tuesday, Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said in a text message that he did not have a comment, "Yet."

This is a developing story.