Committee on Workforce Development meeting, January 30, 2024
- When: Tue, Jan 30, 2024, 1:00 PM (Chicago time)
- Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: Committee on Workforce Development
- Video: https://vimeo.com/905739013
- Transcript: full text (13,222 words, official captions)
Meeting notes
AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.
The Committee on Workforce Development took up, for a second time, an ordinance adopting an arbitration option in certain police disciplinary cases, after arbitrator Edwin Benn returned his award on the forum for lengthy suspensions and discharges unchanged following the City Council's December rejection. Ten public commenters spoke, including the FOP president, who objected to not being allowed on the witness panel and said the union would sue, and advocates and the Police Board president, who urged members to reject the award as undermining transparency and accountability. The city's chief labor negotiator and outside counsel criticized the award for not addressing the city's proposals for public hearings and arbitrator qualifications, and several members said the hearing was one-sided without the FOP's view. The committee approved its December Rule 45 report and a substitute correcting a typo, then voted 10 to 5 on a roll call to recommend that the ordinance do not pass at the January 31 City Council meeting.
Topics: police disciplinary arbitration, Fraternal Order of Police contract, police accountability, transparency, Police Board, interest arbitration award, Rule 45 report
Agenda items discussed
- 45:15 Rule 45 report for the December 7, 2023 meeting: passed
- 45:42 Ordinance adopting an arbitration option in certain police disciplinary cases (committee recommended do not pass) (O2024-0007332): failed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Michael D. Rodriguez (chair): Said union counterparties have not spoken on expert panels for labor agreements and that he denied requests from others, including the Police Board, to join the panel. (46:24); Said the arbitrator returned the same award unchanged after the committee and council rejected it in December. (47:00); Said the arbitrator called the council undemocratic, which he viewed as showing bias. (1:04:57)
- Anthony Beale (alderperson): Asked how much the city pays its outside law firm and said the hearing was one-sided. (52:22); Said the arbitrator is a neutral party, members should accept the award or change the law in Springfield, and called the effort a political stunt. (53:33); Said the city should focus on violence, carjackings and education instead. (54:25)
- Marty Quinn (alderperson): Asked to be added to those calling for a two-sided hearing and asked what changed since city counsel previously called a court challenge an uphill battle. (55:03)
- Chris Taliaferro (alderperson): Asked whether, as he read the award, arbitration hearings could be open if the FOP and city agreed, as in other jurisdictions. (1:03:48); Said he hoped the parties could have discussed opening arbitration to the public during negotiations so both sides could be satisfied. (1:07:33)
- Andre Vasquez Jr. (alderperson): Said the FOP president had earlier floated public arbitration but backed away and did not want to engage, which is why members are voting the arbitration down. (1:08:12)
Exchanges between members
- 1:04:57 Rodriguez responded to Taliaferro's question by deferring to the attorneys and commenting on the arbitrator's language.
- 1:08:12 Vasquez thanked Taliaferro for raising the point about open arbitration hearings.