Oak Lawn is hailing a recent Illinois Appellate Court decision in its longstanding litigation over staffing with the village's firefighters union as a significant victory for taxpayers.
On Aug. 12, the appellate court upheld a 2015 Illinois Labor Relations Board's ruling that found Oak Lawn not liable for $3.2 million in back pay and accrued interest the union argued firefighters were owed because of the village's alleged failure to comply with minimum staffing provisions in the contract. "We are, of course, thrilled that the appellate court ruled in favor of the taxpayers and rejected the union's efforts to win more than $3 million for work never performed," Village Manager Larry Deetjen said in a statement.
The ruling marks the fourth time in the past 18 months the village has prevailed in its case with the firefighters union over minimum staffing, village officials said.