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Cops may picket during IOC's Chicago visit March 25, 2009 7:31 PM | 9 Comments Leaders of Chicago's police union are considering taking the growing acrimony over contract negotiations public at a most inopportune time for Mayor Daley -- picketing on the day International Olympic Committee evaluators arrive next week to see the city. Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donahue acknowledged that a picket line of cops while Olympic officials are in town April 2-7 is "being discussed," but he said nothing has been decided by the union and declined to comment further.

But multiple police sources familiar with union activities said that an "informational picket" is being planned for next Thursday, the day the IOC's 16-member evaluating commission is scheduled to arrive in Chicago. The sources expected the picketing to take place at City Hall, but the location is among issues still being discussed.

Union officials were angered recently by the Daley administration's decision to withdraw a pay raise offer already on the table in the ongoing negotiations. Police morale had already plummeted under the leadership of Supt. Jody Weis, whom many in the department view as an outsider with an unfairly harsh attitude toward disciplining officers. Daley hired Weis, a former FBI official, with the expressed purpose of improving the reputation of a scandal-plagued department.

The visit by Olympic officials has been eagerly anticipated by Chicago 2016 committee members, as well as the mayor. Chicago is the IOC's first stop on its tour of 2016 Games finalists, which include Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo.
Daley administration officials did not immediately respond to questions about the possible picketing.

Angela Rozas contributed to this report.