Cook Co. Judge Orders City Hall To Negotiate Jab Mandate With FOP

CHICAGO — A Cook County judge on Monday ordered Mayor Lori Lightfoot's deadline for all city employees to be vaccinated can't be enforced without first negotiating with the Fraternal Order of Police.

Judge Raymond issued a temporary restraining order that presses pause on the Dec. 31 vaccine mandate deadline pending arbitration, but allows City Hall to enforce vaccine reporting requirements and place scofflaws on no-pay status.

Raymond wrote in his order requiring arbitration on requiring coronavirus vaccines that the case presents "two competing interests" — the city's public health concerns and the police union's desire to pursue a contract grievance — that are not "wholly irreconcilable."

"Obey now, grieve later’ is not possible" as it relates to requiring jabs, Raymond wrote. "If every union member complied ... they would have no grievance to pursue and there would be no remedy an arbitrator could award. An award of back pay or reinstatement cannot undo a vaccine. Nothing can."

A City Hall spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Ald. Anthony Napolitano, who backed a failed ordinance proposal that aimed to eliminate the jab mandate, called the ruling "terriffic."

"This is the way things are supposed to be done and should have been done from the beginning. Instead of forcing people to do something, you bring it to a conversation and arbitration," Napolitano told the Sun-Times. "This has become too much of a control situation. ... More of the mayor against the union. ... You collectively bargain for what you’re going to do to members. That was never done. That’s why this needs to go to arbitration."

Lightfoot said the judge's ruling doesn't put her vaccine policy in jeapordy of being overturned. "I'm not aware of a single instance in which a mandate put in place has been invalidated," she said.

Last week, a federal judge denied a court effort to eliminate City Hall's vaccine mandate.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.