32 Chicago FD Brass 'Resign' and Return to Rank-and-File

June 20--Thirty-two members of the Chicago Fire Department's brass have resigned their positions and returned to career service ranks amid an ongoing dispute over pay and benefits that could cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Chicago Sun Times says the former bosses returned to the ranks of battalion chief and, in one case, paramedic field chief, but they will continue to "act up" in their exempt positions. The group represents more than half of the brass on the fire suppression side of the department.

The resignations, which happened en masse at 8 a.m. Monday, mean the 32 will now be eligible for overtime, holiday pay, duty availability, hazmat and other forms of supplemental and specialty pay afforded to the CFD rank-and-file.

The highest ranked of the 32 is First Deputy Fire Commissioner Richard Ford II. Others include Mark Nielsen, deputy commissioner of the Fire Department’s Bureau of Operations; Michael Callahan, who oversees logistics; and Don Hroma, district chief of training.

The fire officials are seeking pension changes, expanded health insurance benefits and pay raises, but have been unable to persuade Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago. City officials say that would require a change in the state pension code.

"The city continues to have conversations with those exempt fire department staff who have expressed concerns about the state pension code, which is pending Springfield legislation," city spokesperson Julie Kaviar told the Sun Times.

Fire officials must retire at age 63, but non-union senior staff must pay for their own health insurance until 65. Exempt officials also lose pay perks, including vacation, when they become exempt staff members. Also, the state pension code doesn't allow exempt officers to earn benefits based on current salary. Instead, their benefits are based on their most recent union-covered job.

"Most of the people in this group are up against the wall," a source told the Sun Times. "They have to self-demote two-to-four years before they retire to rebuild their pension before turning 63.

"The collective bargaining agreement has improved over the years for the rank-and-file, but it has not improved for the exempts. In private industry, when the rank-and-file gets something, the bosses also get something. That hasn't happened in the Fire Department. Some of these guys have lost in excess of $25,000. That's rather insane."