Chicago residents just got a win against tyranny.
Administrative Law Judge Anna Hamburg-Gal ruled that the City of Chicago violated the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act after imposing the vaccine mandate without negotiating with unions representing the workers.
The Judge said that the city did not bargain in good faith.
The fired workers must now be reinstated and repaid any lost pay and benefits, plus 7% annual interest.
The Chicago Sun Times reported:
Unionized city of Chicago employees fired or disciplined for violating COVID-19 vaccination requirements must be reinstated and repaid for any loss of wages or benefits, a state hearing officer has ruled.
The decision in a case before the Illinois Labor Relations Board applies to city workers represented by trade unions or by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The unions banded together to challenge regulations Mayor Lori Lightfoot imposed starting in 2021.
Administrative Law Judge Anna Hamburg-Gal said the city violated the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act by not bargaining in good faith over vaccine requirements and changes in sick leave policies. Her ruling, issued Wednesday, requires the city to “make whole” workers who lost pay and benefits, plus 7% annual interest.
The ruling is a broad rebuke of Lightfoot’s get-tough policies on city workers who resisted vaccination mandates, but it’s not known how many employees were penalized. One source said a few dozen employees may be directly affected by the decision.
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees celebrated the ruling saying, “We think it’s a strong decision and favorable for worker rights generally.”
A spokesperson for AFSCME told news outlets: “We think it’s a strong decision and favorable for worker rights generally.”
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the ruling “was an erroneous decision that does not follow the law, facts nor importantly the science” and that the city was considering its next steps.
Hopefully, more vaccine mandates are stopped in court!
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