Ruling means layoffs for Prospect Hts. police department

Prospect Heights is expected to lose 4-6 police officers by Tuesday morning, following an arbitrator's ruling last week that the city improperly instituted furlough days for police personnel.

The police union, the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, argued that the collective bargaining agreement didn't allow furloughs.

Arbitrator Raymond McAlpin agreed in his Oct. 16 ruling, and suggested the city would have to implement layoffs.

Mayor Dolly Vole said Saturday between four and six of the department's 22 sworn officers could be laid off. The city council will discuss the matter tonight in closed session, but any vote will be taken in public.

If the layoffs are agreed to, they will take place Tuesday morning, she added.

The city instituted across-the-board furloughs for city employees in July 2009 in an attempt to plug a $250,000 budget deficit. Employees are required to take off 30 days a year.

The police union filed a grievance, saying their contract does not permit the city to furlough officers, although it does permit layoffs.

The city countered it has an “unlimited and unfettered” right to implement furloughs and cut employee work hours under the agreement's “management rights” section.

“Layoffs alone would have resulted in a situation that would have crippled the city's ability to operate and is simply not a viable option,” according to city arguments stated in arbitration documents.

Ultimately, though, McAlpin determined the contract allows only layoffs, not furloughs. He agreed with the union the term “layoff” can't be broadly interpreted to include a reduction in normal working hours.

In July, McAlpin gave the city and union an additional 60 days to reach an agreement. That was unsuccessful, resulting in the arbitrator's final opinion last week that the city would have to implement layoffs in the police department, at the same time canceling future furlough days for the remaining officers. Vole said the union was insisting on layoffs, and not trying to work out a deal to protect jobs. Union officials could not be reached.

McAlpin did not award back pay to police officers.

In fact, McAlpin used his decision to scold Prospect Heights voters, saying they made a “very short sighted decision” in 2008 to reject a home rule referendum which would have given the city broader powers to raise revenue through taxes.

“The citizens of Prospect Heights have no one to blame but themselves for this predicament,” McAlpin said. “Severely underfunding safety and security departments will not only affect property values but put citizens at risk.”

Vole said the aldermen will have to do more than talk about police layoffs, they'll have to talk about the equity of requiring other city employees to continue to take furlough days if police officers no longer have to.

Under the collective bargaining agreement, officers who have the least amount of years on the force would be the first to go.

The Prospect Heights Police Department is already operating in reduced circumstances. While officers still patrol 24/7, the department itself is closed to visitors.