Get up! Get down! Chicago is a union town!
There is no question that our city has a rich history of advocating for workers’ rights and was pivotal in the labor movement’s victory to establish an eight-hour workday and proper days off, along with other commonsense employee rights. That is why it is ironic and appalling that the same city that is world-renowned for protecting workers from unfair labor conditions imposes continual 12-hour shifts on its police officers often without days off, punishing an already-overworked and understaffed force.
The Chicago Police Department should not be forced to repeatedly send police officers to serve the public knowing full well that its members are not properly rested. This practice goes against the oath that both the mayor and police superintendent took when they swore to do what was in the best interest of the residents of Chicago. A city ordinance proposed by Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st, and supported by Aldermen Silvana Tabares, 23rd, Ray Lopez, 15th, and Matthew O’Shea, 19th, would set limits on the amount of overbearing hours that Chicago police officers are required to work. It is a solution that is much welcome and long overdue.
The ordinance would allow officers to spend much needed time with their families, receive counseling services, and come back fresh to their extremely demanding and dangerous duty. It would give officers the option to take their scheduled time off if they need it or to be properly compensated for voluntarily coming in on their days off. It also carries a clause that requires police officers to report to duty under a declared disaster.
This legislation looks out for those who look out for us. It does not take away from police accountability.
Conversely, it improves the quality of service as there is no profession that improves customer service by overworking and underappreciating its employees. The ordinance would save lives: the lives of civilians who would get the benefit of rested officers in better condition to do their job and the lives of officers who may be completely burned out and lack the time to receive the proper mental health help.
Ultimately it saves taxpayers money by preventing costly lawsuits that may arise from exhausted personnel. What this ordinance does not address is the enormous amount of understaffing at CPD, which is clearly another matter that requires urgent attention.
How can we expect public safety in Chicago to improve when there are not enough officers to cover all the shifts? How can victims of a crime or those reporting a crime in progress hope for timely response times when there are not enough officers to attend to the public’s demand? What’s even more concerning, why would anyone now want to sign up to be a Chicago police officer, a job that is inherently dangerous, unappreciated and now carries years of negative public scrutiny?
How do we retain the officers that we do have as many have been completely demoralized and look to exit the department altogether? Mayor Lori Lightfoot does not seem to want to acknowledge that officers are maxed out and need rest and that the department is severely understaffed. This crisis affects all of us. The proposed ordinance is a step in the right direction.
As of now, no official position has been taken by Chicago labor organizations such as the Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago Federation of Labor or even the United Working Families, which advocates for Chicago’s working class. It would be prudent for them to express solidarity with CPD officers.
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As a union member, I wholeheartedly support any city ordinance that protects Chicago police officers and other first responders from excessive work hours that jeopardize public safety and deny workers the respect and dignity we all deserve.
Froylan Jimenez is a civics teacher and Chicago Teachers Union member.
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