SHILOH — Shiloh police aren’t complaining about working 12-hour shifts. But one officer has filed a grievance about working shifts not outlined in the contract, and union officials are backing him up.

Police officer Zachary Green filed an official grievance with the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, citing a violation of the police contract. Green’s complaint centers on being scheduled to work 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. shifts, which violate normal work shifts defined in the union’s contractual agreement.

Representatives of the police union expressed displeasure to village trustees regarding the work shifts and overtime for officers during the Village Board meeting Monday night.

“You have specific contract languages that delineates certain contract shifts that our bargaining members have committed to,” said E. Ryan Hall, the staff attorney for the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police.

For the last two years, members of the police union in Shiloh have been working the 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 3 a.m shifts on weekdays, which Rodney Kreke said is not a part of the current contract. Kreke is a police union representative and a sergeant with the Shiloh Police Department. The contract permits these shifts to be worked on the weekend.

“The main complaint is the 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. shift,” Kreke said. “They (officers) don’t like working until 10 p.m. at night and calling it a day shift, because then you go to nights and you’re 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. so you’re never working a true day shift.”

Hall said union members agreed to the shifts as a “temporary solution” two years agoto fill the staffing needs of the department. He said officers would like to work the shifts agreed upon in the contract, and see the 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekday shifts eliminated.

If the village is going to seek a permanent change of shifts, Hall said the village and police union have to bargain.

Hall said it’s his belief that if the village reverts back to shifts outlined in the contract it would “diminish overtime costs” for the village.

Kreke said the union had hoped to avoid the grievance process.He said union members talked to the chief about the issue, but made no progress.

“The chief was very adamant saying the shifts are staying,” Kreke said. “The only other avenue was to file a grievance. We understand the grievance process is a costly process, and we would like to work it out.”

Following Hall and Kreke’s comments to the board, village officials went into executive session to discuss collective bargaining.No action was taken following the 30-minute closed session Monday night.

Shiloh Mayor Jim Vernier said village officials will have a response to the union’s grievance by the village Committeeat-Large meeting Monday, Dec. 17.

In the village’s written response to the grievance, Shiloh Police Chief James Stover stated the contract allows the start time to be adjusted “due to the needs of the department.”

Kreke explained the start time language was only included in the contract to accommodate calling the 7 a.m. officer in early if the 6 a.m. officer calls in sick.He said the contract doesn’t state the end time can be changed.

Stover further stated the “10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. layover shifts are needed by the department in order to provide the most efficient utilization of personnel during the times of greatest manpower requirements due to calls for service.”

Contact reporter Jamie Forsythe at 239-2562 or jforsythe1@bnd.com 

Contact reporter Jamie Forsythe at 239-2562 or jforsythe1@bnd.com.