Page 16 - FOP Magazine August 2020

Labor board continues to pursue City’s pattern of misconduct
Shortly before the one-year anniversary of filing yet another unfair labor practice charge against the City of Chicago, on July 1, 2020, the Illinois Labor Relations Board issued another complaint against the City (the sixth of its kind since the most current contract expired). The latest complaint stems from the City’s decision
to modify unilaterally how and when bar- gaining unit members record their hours,
based on a late 2017 pilot program initially limited to personnel assigned to police headquarters only.
By now, many of you know that effective Sept. 30, 2019, the pilot program expanded to all districts. Most sworn police officers throughout the districts were required to swipe in at the start of their tour and swipe out at the end of their tour, utilizing a new, automated system (over the Lodge’s ob- jections).
As has been the Department’s practice all along, once again, the City shrugged off its obligations and failed to bargain with the Lodge over the impact or effect this new change will have on bargaining unit employees’ terms and conditions of em- ployment. Indeed, these new changes, made permanent, sig- nificantly change existing practices and procedures and will impact how police officers are disciplined.
As with other instances in the past, this latest complaint re- sulted from the City’s unilateral decision to take yet another pilot program and expand it throughout the City without en- gaging in the mandatory bargaining process. By implement-
ing the new Time and Attendance Swiping Program, the City has unilaterally changed terms and conditions of employment of police officers without bargaining with the Lodge. The City has an obligation, at a minimum, to bargain the overall effects of the new order on the bargaining unit. Additionally, the City has indicated in no uncertain terms that it will use the newly imple- mented program “to produce payroll, record[] overtime, and manag[e] the accumulation of compensatory time and use any contractual paid time off.” However, to date, the City
has not raised these subjects at the bargaining table.
In the course of implementing the pilot program dis- trict-wide as to how and when bargaining unit members re- cord their hours, the City has deviated from the collective bar- gaining agreement. The City has an obligation to bargain both the initial implementation of the new order (since it changes how and when police officers can take their one 30-minute meal period) and how police officers may be disciplined for
non-compliance.
PAT FIORETTO
16 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2020