CHICAGO — Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara is hoping a crowd shows up to City Hall to support an ordinance that will be introduced Monday that would defy the Mayor’s city employee COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
“Let’s hope enough Aldermen do the right thing and push to have that ordinance enacted so this vaccine policy gets reset and negotiated like it should have been,” Catanzara said.
In his most recent video, Catanzara said he hopes an ordinance that will be proposed Monday overturning Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s vaccine mandate will pass.
The ordinance will be debated in committee and will return to the next Council meeting for final action, according to city officials.
“This ordinance absolutely gives the power back to the Aldermen to decide serious things about the city workforce and their paychecks,” Catanzara said.
The proposal would make any mandate or effort to place employees on no-pay status subject to City Council approval.
It would also repeal the mandate, making it null and void while allowing any employee to receive any pay missed retroactively.
Mayor Lightfoot remains adamant about her stance and is not budging.
“This is a condition of employment. People have to abide by the rules,” Lightfoot said.
Sources said 70 percent of Chicago police personnel have reported their vaccination status to the city, up from 68 percent at the beginning of the week.
Currently, there are roughly 25 officers who have not complied with the Mayor’s order.
“Over two dozen officers held the line and disobeyed the order and went into a no-pay status. We set up a heroes fund on the FOP website, that money will be distributed to the officers in no-pay status. We are going to figure out a calculation on how to help them out on this financial crunch they voluntarily took on our behalves,” Catanzara said.
Catanzara is asking anybody who disagrees with the mandate to attend Monday’s council meeting at 10 a.m.