Chicago Police officers may have to wait until next year to negotiate a new contract with the city — and forgo a retroactive pay increase in 2012 — thanks to an embarrassing oversight by the new leadership of the Fraternal Order of Police, City Hall sources said Tuesday.
Police and fire contracts are due to expire on June 30, but a little-known clause requires unions to notify the city between Feb. 1 and March 1 that they intend to terminate their contracts and commence negotiations on a new agreement. If they don’t serve notice during that time, the contract automatically rolls over for another year.
City firefighters and unions representing police sergeants, lieutenants and captains notified the city within the required time frame.
But City Hall contends FOP President Mike Shields missed the March 1 deadline, giving Mayor Rahm Emanuel an opening to either put off negotiations until June 30, 2013, or negotiate only those items that would cut taxpayer costs.
A mayoral confidant emphasized that the city has not yet decided whether to “stick it in the ear” of rank-and-file police officers.
“But we’re reserving the right to be selective in what we talk about because they blew it,” the source said.
"stick it in the ear?" How about a bit lower?
One has wonder what the FOP is going to have to give up in order to make things right.