(The Center Square) – Leaders of the union representing Chicago police are seeking more paid time off from Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Earlier this month, Johnson and Chicago Public Schools officials announced that employees would get up to 12 weeks of paid paternity leave. Previous policy granted parents six to eight weeks of leave. The new change will bring CPS in line with policy in other departments.
John Catanzara of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 is now urging the mayor to approve the same leave for the police force.
“The teachers were granted parental leave without bargaining. We certainly expect the same considerations for our membership,” Catanzara said on a YouTube video.
That CPS move has resulted in CPD wanting the same leave, which is their right, according to Illinois Policy Institute’s Mailee Smith.
“Government unions can negotiate over virtually anything,” Smith said. “They already had the right to negotiate over things like paternity leave or days off or sick leave. They already had the right to do that.”
However, Smith said that CPD is not trying to negotiate.
“What this shows is that government unions bypass bargaining when it is convenient for them,” Smith told The Center Square. “Unions can abandon labor laws and not go to negotiations when it’s convenient for them, but government leaders do not have that same leeway. They cannot just change things without bargaining.”
Johnson has yet to comment on the police union’s requests. Smith said his decision will be a big one for how people view the mayor.
“I think Brandon Johnson has put himself in a very interesting position,” Smith said. “He has yet to show how he will govern for all of us, how he will be a mayor for everyone and not just follow what his former CTU colleagues want.”
