The city of Chicago is grappling with significant budget deficits and may soon be confronted with a staggering bill for police overtime amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. This potential financial burden arises from a prolonged legal case involving 8,500 current and former employees of the Chicago Police Department, a case that has been in the courts for nearly a decade.
Nearly ten years have passed since the lawsuit was filed, and almost five years since a federal judge ruled in favor of police officers who claimed that the city had “willfully violated” labor laws by miscalculating their overtime pay over several years.
Despite the court’s ruling, the two parties continue to dispute the exact amount the city must pay. Experts representing the officers estimate that the city owes between $310 million and $450 million, according to court records. In contrast, the city’s expert argues that the figure should not exceed $195 million.
Even the lower estimate remains a significant increase from the $14 million settlement that the city could have reached at the lawsuit’s outset, as noted by Paul Geiger, a former attorney for the police union.
Geiger expressed concern that the overall amount owed is continuously rising due to compounding interest as the case drags on. He emphasized the urgency of resolving this matter for the city’s financial stability. “If you care at all about the finances of the city, you get rid of this lawsuit,” he stated.
The protracted nature of the case has resulted in substantial legal expenses for both sides over the last decade, with police officers claiming they are entitled to compensation that should have been awarded initially.
Geiger remarked, “They should have been paid in the first place, and everybody has spent millions upon millions of dollars processing this case for the last 10 years.” He criticized the city for its apparent reluctance to settle, suggesting that those managing city finances should recognize the implications of continuing a drawn-out fight over the payments.
John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, echoed Geiger’s frustrations about the delay and criticized the recent mayors, including Brandon Johnson, Lori Lightfoot, and Rahm Emanuel, for their handling of the case. He argued that it has been irresponsible to let the legal dispute remain unresolved for so long.
“It’s stupid for the city to drag it out,” Catanzara commented. “Nobody should have to settle for less than what they earned just because the city didn’t calculate [overtime] right.”
While a spokesperson for the city’s Law Department declined to comment on the ongoing litigation, an outside lawyer representing the city countered claims that there has been any intentional delay in the legal proceedings.
According to court records, the miscalculations pertain to various overtime programs, including the Violence Reduction Initiative on the South Side, the West Side, and the detail guarding former President Barack Obama’s home.
Geiger noted that had the case involved other city employees, such as teachers or retail workers, it would likely have been resolved much sooner. He remarked, “If this case involved 8,500 Walmart checkers or maybe city teachers or some other individuals other than Chicago police officers — who are, sadly, often treated like third-class citizens — it would have been resolved.”
The ongoing situation not only highlights the challenges within the Chicago Police Department but also raises questions about the management of the city’s finances. Joe Ferguson, president of the Civic Federation, criticized the city for allowing various labor disputes, including the police overtime case, to fester too long, complicating any efforts to achieve financial clarity.
Ferguson urged a resolution to these longstanding disputes, stating, “We really ought to bottom-line these things so we can begin to move forward and avoid carrying the legacy of the past into the future forever.”
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