Chicago Takes Legal Action Against Police Union for Push to Defy Vaccine Mandate

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) announced Friday that she has directed her administration to file a Complaint for Injunctive Relief against the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, accusing it of “engaging in, supporting, and encouraging a work stoppage or strike” after union leader John Catanzara called on officers to defy the city’s vaccine mandate deadline.

“As Chicago’s Mayor, I cannot and will not stand idly by while the rhetoric of conspiracy theorists threatens the health and safety of Chicago’s residents and first responders,” Lightfoot said in a statement obtained by NBC 5. “President Catanzara has time and again deliberately misled our police officers by lying about the requirements of the policy and falsely claiming that there will be no repercussions if officers are insubordinate and refuse to follow a City and Department directive or order.”

Lightfoot’s actions come after Catanzara threatened to take legal action against the mayor over the vaccine mandate, which requires city workers to report their vaccination status by Friday. Under Lightfoot’s rules, officers must confirm their vaccine status or be subjected to unpaid leave. Unvaccinated officers can stay on the job if they undergo semiweekly testing.

“It’s safe to say that the city of Chicago will have a police force at 50% or less for this weekend coming up,” the police union head warned.

Catanzara’s comments were first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Lightfoot hit back at Catanzara’s warning by accusing him of propagating misinformation, branding his remarks “untrue or patently false.”

“What we’re focused on is making sure that we maximize the opportunity to create a very safe workplace,” the mayor said, according to the Associated Press. “The data is very clear. It is unfortunate that the FOP leadership has chosen to put out a counter-narrative. But the fact of the matter is, if you are not vaccinated, you are playing with your life, the life of your family, the life of your colleagues and members of the public.”

On Thursday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) offered to activate the state’s National Guard if the mandate prompts officer shortages in Chicago.

“I think you understand by now that you can’t just march National Guard into a city without coordinating, and you can’t just march state police into a city without coordinating with the Chicago Police Department,” Pritzker said. “So at every turn, we have continuing conversations with them, but we need the leadership of the city to ask us.”