Mayor Sues Police Union President Over Chicago Vaccine Mandates

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot has asked a federal judge for an injunction against Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara. The mayor's complaint accuses Catanzara of encouraging a strike over vaccine mandates for Chicago police officers, which is prohibited by the union's contract and state law.

"As Chicago's Mayor, I cannot and will not stand idly by while the rhetoric of conspiracy theorists threatens the health and safety of Chicago's residents and first responders," Lightfoot said in a statement.

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She set a deadline for city workers, including police officers, to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 by Friday. Those who can not show proof can submit to weekly testing or be placed on unpaid leave.

"President Catanzara has time and again deliberately misled our police officers by lying about the requirements of the policy and falsely claiming that there will be no repercussions if officers are insubordinate and refuse to follow a City and Department directive or order," the mayor said.

State law — and the police union's new contract — prohibits sworn police officers from engaging in a strike due to public safety. Lightfoot and Catanzara have often found themselves on opposing sides of public safety issues, only recently putting aside their differences to negotiate that contract earlier this year.

Catanzara warned on Tuesday that the police department could soon be at half staff unless the mayor gives in.

"All I can tell you is, if, [as] we suspect, the numbers are true, and we get a large number of our members to stand firm on their beliefs, that this is an overreach, and they're not going to provide the information in the portal or submit to testing, then it's safe to say that the city of Chicago will have a police force at 50 percent or less for this weekend coming up," he said in a video message.

Lightfoot accused the FOP president of encouraging a strike, but Catanzara said officers are still encouraged to show up for work on Friday — and force the city to send them home.

“President John Catanzara has never engaged in, supported, or encouraged a work stoppage," the Fraternal Order of Police tweeted Friday, calling the mayor's orders "unlawful."

Lightfoot said that no one would be sent home this weekend because the city still needs time to sift through exemptions.

"But once we understand that people have not complied with the simple request to say yes or no or that I'm going to take the testing options, then, yes, we will be moving forward and putting people into no-pay status," the mayor said.