This is a follow-up to Lt. Dan O’Connor’s email on 10 July 2020.

The Union was notified at approximately 10 a.m. on Friday of the draft order, and we were offered the opportunity to ask questions about the order.  Needless to say, the Department, in their typical condescending and dictatorship fashion refused to address any of the issues that were raised prior to releasing the order.

The questions raised by the Union, but not yet addressed:

1. Member’s already on vacation, unaware of the order, who return to work after 7/13? Will they be disciplined?
2. What level of discipline will be exacted? 
3. Member’s with preplanned and non-refundable vacations?
4. From a management perspective, does the quarantine affect the 15%?
5. Covid is clearly a medical issue, how is a member barred from utilizing the medical roll for a medical issue? A medical issue that the Department has clearly recognized.
6. After contacting my healthcare provider, Covid tests are only authorized if symptoms or direct contact is made with a Covid positive person, how will member’s obtain tests if there only qualification is travel?

As you can tell from the order, none of these issues were addressed prior to issuance.

Our Superintendent sends daily emails which include “As standard protocol, everyone who worked in close contact with a member affected by Covid-19 will be notified.  Additional personnel have also been advised to continue to report  for work and self-monitor for any symptoms.  Should individuals exhibit any symptoms, we are asking you to stay home, check in with CPD’s Medical Section and consult your physician.  The Department’s position is contact with a Covid positive person has not required quarantine and only symptomatic personnel should stay home.  This message has remained clear and unchanged.

On a daily basis, our Member’s come in contact with the Covid positive public, prisoners, and deceased, however no quarantine is required. 

At Guaranteed Rate Field, our member’s were on packed buses with other members who were later determined to have Covid, however, we were never offered nor required to quarantine. 

The city had no issue in requiring us to work 12 hour days in Covid rich environments.  We had repeated contact with protestors and looters who were allowed to violate numerous Municipal Codes and State Law because our woeful Department leadership and a continued lack of Mayoral support.  Protestors were allowed to spread the virus while destroying our city, but once again no quarantine was offered for the member’s that were in direct contact.

We are now 120 days into the Covid pandemic, with no sign of hospital overcrowding, no indications of ventilator shortage, plenty of test locations, and members returning to group training at the academy.  However, the Department is attempting to mandate members quarantine with their own time because they took well-earned and well-deserved vacations. We have been told to report to work unless symptomatic, but now they want the membership to quarantine despite not experiencing signs or symptoms of being contagious.  The Mayor’s and the Department’s hypocrisy is astounding.

As soon as Member’s attempt to improve their mental health, emotional health, and overall well-being by escaping to a state that doesn’t restrict our constitutional freedoms as well as avoiding the tyrannical lockdowns and the scientifically unsupported closing of parks and beaches, we are punished by a mandated compensatory time quarantine under the dictatorial terms of the Department and Mayor.

If you have vacations planned, enjoy your scheduled vacations, you earned it and deserve it.  Upon return follow the order:

1. Contact the medical section and let them know you are returning from travel, you are not symptomatic, and you wish  return to work.
2. If the medical section orders you to quarantine and denies your return to work, call your district and place yourself on the medical roll.  Indicate that you being ordered by the Medical section to “quarantine due to possible Covid exposure with no symptoms per the travel order.” If the department removes you from the medical roll, file a grievance citing 9A.2 for removal of a Lieutenant from duty for medical reasons.
3. The medical section should assist you with seeking an immediate test. Upon receipt of the test results, (assuming they are negative) contact the Medical section with the test results and indicate your intent to return to duty, if you are denied access to return to duty, immediately file a grievance citing 9A.2 for refusal to return to a Lieutenant to duty from the medical roll. 

The City and Department will be required to justify the theft of your compensatory time due to a denial of medical roll for quarantine that they initiated and required due to a medical reason.  Additionally, the City and Department will also have to explain to the arbitrator why the member was refused to return to duty with no signs or symptoms of Covid when members were previously told to report for duty and self monitor by the Superintendent.

If you are unfortunate to be symptomatic and you are denied medical roll access, the Department will also need to explain why someone with a medical ailment was denied access to their contractual rights of enrolling on the medical. This will also necessitate a grievance under 9A.2 for denial of medical roll for medical issue.  The Department’s medical section doesn’t not have right or authority to deny you access to the medical roll if you are symptomatic and/or covid positive.

If you have any questions, email or call the Union for assistance.