Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tweeted Tuesday, “Gotta love it when petty tyrants are given comeuppance,” in response to Chicago being ordered to rehire and pay back wages to city employees who were fired for not complying with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Gotta love it when petty tyrants are given comeuppance https://t.co/ga93zxkOMX
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 25, 2023
On April 19, Administrative Law Judge Anna Hamburg-Gal ruled that the city “failed and refused” to negotiate in good faith with union leaders “over the effects of its decision to implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate,” which she determined to violate the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act.
Unionized Chicago employees are now entitled to receive lost wages and benefits with seven percent annual interest. This applies to those who work as electricians, plumbers, machinists, bricklayers, carpenters and more.
In 2021, Lightfoot threatened city workers with “consequences” for COVID-19 vaccine noncompliance.
“Employees who fail to report their vaccination status by October 15, 2021, will be placed in a non-disciplinary, no pay status,” her office declared in a 2021 press release.
A representative for Lightfoot’s office was not in favor of the latest ruling, stating, “The record before the Administrative Law Judge tells a completely different story. Yesterday’s ruling was an erroneous decision that does not follow the law, facts nor importantly the science. We are currently reviewing the ruling and evaluating next steps,” the spokesperson said.
The first Democrat to be unsuccessful for re-election as Chicago mayor in 40 years, Lightfoot’s term concludes on May 15.
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