Judge Orders IN Department Back to 24/48 Shift

In the ongoing battle over East Chicago firefighters work shifts, a U.S. District Court Judge issued a preliminary injunction ordering city officials to return the fire department to a 24 on 48 off work schedule.

U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon concluded firefighters will likely prove Mayor Anthony Copeland changed the firefighters work schedule in retaliation after they endorsed his opponent.

The judge said the firefighters have tentatively proved the mayor was denying the firefighters their First Amendment right to lobby the Common Council into siding with the union, according to NWI Times.

The firefighters and the city have been battling the mayor to improve their work schedule and other benefits, the judge has given the city until April 18 to return to the 24/48 work schedule.

In 2019 the mayor force a new swing shift on firefighters requiring them to be at their duty stations for eight hours each on three consecutive days, starting an early morning the first day, an afternoon the second day and then an evening shift, before getting their fourth day off, NWI Times reported.

In the ruling the judge stated “The new schedule has been deleterious to their health and well-being. Because the schedule changes each day, firefighters cannot get on a normal sleep schedule.”

The judge also noted the city provided no proof the swing shift saved money, and that the firefighters proved the shift was a political payback from the mayor.