Editorial: Pay Chicago cops overtime for NATO summit duty
Editorials May 25, 2012 8:12PM
Chicago Police officers line Michigan Avenue to protect the Art Institute from protesters on May 20 during the NATO Summit. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media
Updated: July 3, 2012 10:39AM
The mayor better fix this one, and fast.
Less than a week after Chicago police won high praise for their work protecting the city during the NATO Summit, the police union is accusing the city of trying to chisel officers out of summit overtime pay.
The Fraternal Order of Police says the city doesn’t want to give officers time-and-a-half overtime for working a sixth or seventh consecutive day in a week, as the police contract calls for. It has filed a class- action grievance.
In response to a inquiry Friday by Chicago Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman, a police spokeswoman said, “The Chicago Police Department fully intends to work through these issues with the union to ensure that our officers are fully compensated for their work during the NATO Summit.”
We hope that means the city plans to pay up. The language in the police contract appears clear on overtime payments, but if the city has another reading of the contract, we’re all ears. Barring that, there is no excuse for denying Chicago police their due.
