Chicago police union leader tells officers to defy city’s vaccine mandate in showdown with Mayor Lightfoot 

by mcardinal

Chris Lange, FISM News

 

 

In the latest showdown over vaccination mandates, the head of Chicago’s police union has encouraged members to defy the city’s vaccine order which is set to take effect on Friday. 

“Do not fill out the portal information,” said Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara in a video message posted to YouTube on Tuesday, adding that the city has no authority to force workers to share medical information.

Chicago city employees have until Friday to submit their COVID-19 vaccination status. Unvaccinated workers will be required to submit to weekly testing until the city makes a determination on how to deal with those who refuse the vaccine. The defiant move by Catanzara could result in a sudden mass reduction of police staff should union members agree to defy the policy.

“I’ve made my status very clear as far as the vaccine, but I do not believe the city has the authority to mandate that to anybody — let alone that information about your medical history,” said Cantzara, adding “there’s no way they’re going to be able to sustain a police department workforce at 50 percent capacity or less for more than seven days without something budging.”

He also said that any resulting staffing issues fall “at the mayor’s doorstep.”

City employees who do not report their vaccination status by the Friday deadline will “be placed in a non-disciplinary, no pay status,” according to an Oct. 8 press release from the office of Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D). Cantzara said the union is preparing a lawsuit against the city over the policy.

Lightfoot has accused Cantzara of “doing a patent disservice to his members every single day” by encouraging defiance against the mandates. In a Wednesday news conference, Lightfoot addressed Chicago officers, saying that Cantazara is “playing with your life, the life of your family, the life of your colleagues, and members of the public.”

When asked how the city will respond to a potential 50% reduction of its police force, Lightfoot responded that she doesn’t believe it will happen, adding, however, that the city is “prepared.”  She also defended her decision to enforce the vaccine mandate, saying “I’ve been very clear: The only way that we can maximize safety in our workplace is to get people vaccinated.”

Over the past several weeks tensions have flared over vaccination mandates in many sectors. Southwest Airlines was forced to cancel between 1,800 and 2,000 flights Sunday, blaming weather-related concerns and air traffic control issues. Many speculate, however, that the cancellations were due to staffing shortages resulting from the airline’s implementation of vaccine mandates.

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