Page 18 - April2021_Magazine

New mayor, same old song
This is a tale of two mayors. Although Chicago’s former and current mayors may appear different (both physically and politically), the two are more alike than one would think. The new mayor con- tinues to engage in the same pattern of mis- conduct with regard to state labor laws as
did the prior one. Let’s take a walk down memory lane.
On Feb. 16, 2016, former Mayor Em- manuel issued a press release stating that the Task
Force on Police Accountability (headed by current Mayor Lightfoot) recommended a new policy regarding
the release of video recordings, and that the City would work to implement those recommendations. In early June 2016, the City, unilaterally and voluntarily, released hundreds of video recordings containing images of rank-and-file police officers to the general public, jeopardizing the individuals’ privacy, safety and job security, pursuant to the Chicago Po- lice Department’s video release policy. The video recordings were made available to the public on a website supported by the Independent Police Review Authority (which eventually became COPA—the Civilian Office of Police Accountability). The media had a field day. Once the internet portal went live, reporters did not hesitate to provide colorful commentary.
As had been the practice under the former administration
(and continues to be under the current one), the City released these video recordings without an opportunity to bargain be- ing given to Lodge 7, despite the impact on the privacy, safety and job security of bargaining unit employees identified in
the video recordings.
The public release of those recordings did not fa-
cilitate policing; instead, it acted as an impediment, a gratuitous display by a failing administration fac- ing fierce public criticism. The City opted to publicly shame its police officers rather than forthrightly ad-
dress the criticisms it faced at the time. The City had no reason not to bargain with the Lodge over the scope of video releases and police officers’ rights and restrictions
concerning those recordings.
On June 16, 2016, the Lodge filed one of many unfair labor
practice charges against the City. The Lodge alleged that the City violated the Labor Relations Act by unilaterally chang- ing the status quo on mandatory subjects of bargaining with- out giving the union the opportunity to bargain. An issue is a mandatory subject of bargaining when it involves the wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment. By imple- menting the video release policy and making video record- ings publicly accessible, the City unilaterally impacted the terms and conditions of employment of police officers. The City had an obligation to bargain both the initial implemen-
PAT FIORETTO
18 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ APRIL 2021