John Catanzara, president of Lodge 7 of the Fraternal Order of Police, addresses protesters and supporters outside City Hall on Monday at a rally against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
In all, 13 joined the call for the special meeting to consider the repeal ordinance. Still, 13 more must show up to form a quorum. And 8 more than that are needed for a vote to suspend the rules, allowing immediate consideration of the repeal.
More than a dozen City Council members who are among the police union’s staunchest supporters have called a special Council meeting for Friday to consider repealing the vaccine mandate being fought tooth-and-nail by the Fraternal Order of Police.
Earlier this week, the repeal ordinance championed by Alderpersons Silvana Tabares (23rd) and Anthony Napolitano was shunted to the Rules Committee, the traditional burial ground where ordinances opposed by the mayor go to die.
Tabares told the Sun-Times she wasn’t giving up. On Wednesday, she made good on that threat.
She joined Napolitano, embattled Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th), indicted Ald. Edward Burke (14th), Alderpersons Matt O’Shea (19th) and a host of other police allies in calling a special meeting for 11 a.m. Friday to consider the repeal ordinance. In all, 13 alderpersons joined the call for the special meeting for “immediate consideration” of the repeal ordinance.
Still, 13 more must show up to form a quorum. And they’ll need 8 more than that for a vote to suspend the rules and allow immediate consideration of the repeal.
That’s a tall order, given that Mayor Lori Lightfoot has vowed to “do everything I can to stop it” and make certain the ordinance “never sees the light of day.”
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Among the City Council members who have called for a special meeting Friday to consider repealing Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees are: Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th), Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd) and Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st), shown here at Monday’s Council meeting at City Hall.
Lightfoot said she’s surprised Tabares would side with an FOP president who “spews hatred” against her Hispanic constituents.
“That is not reflective of her community. … It’s really stunning to me that a woman of color would carry the water for a guy like that, who every single day spews hatred against people who look like her and have her background,” Lightfoot said last week.
“It is really, really shameful. And she’ll have to answer for that.”
The ordinance would effectively repeal the vaccine mandate, retroactively requiring City Council approval of “all policies, rules and regulations governing discipline” of city employees.
“Notwithstanding any other provision of the city code to the contrary and subject to the terms of any applicable collective bargaining agreement approved by city council, any new policy rule or regulation that provides for placing city employees on non-disciplinary, no-pay status requires City Council approval,” the ordinance states.
Lightfoot’s mandate that city employees report their vaccination status on the city’s data portal took effect on Oct 8. The ordinance “shall be retroactive” to Oct. 1.
Burke introduced a second ordinance that also was sent to the Rules Committee. It is not on Friday’s agenda. It would require the continuation of health care benefits for the dependents of city employees for the duration of the dispute.
Many of those beneficiaries are “being treated for life-threatening diseases, mental health illnesses and are receiving hospital and in-patient treatment which will be at risk,” the ordinance states.
“No provision of the municipal code authorizes the Mayor of Chicago to take this draconian action. And furthermore, no action of the municipal code requires city employees to submit the information” on their vaccine status.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd) gets a round of applause as she walks among Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 members and their supporters as they protest against COVID-19 mandates outside City Hall before Monday’s Chicago City Council meeting.
Earlier this week, Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara demanded a show of hands from alderpersons who support the repeal. Then, he delivered an ominous political warning to those who refused to take a stand against the mayor’s mandate.
“We’re taking a report card and anybody who does not raise their hand, you will be challenged in 2023,” Catanzara said.
“We are coming for every one of your damn seats because this is not the way government is supposed to run. It is not a queen on that throne.”
