A police union and a group of Arlington Heights police officers filed suit Tuesday against the village, claiming that officials are violating state law by preventing officers from forming a union for sergeants.
At issue is a state constitutional amendment that guarantees the right to unionize, and a subsequent change in Arlington Heights’ method of promoting officers to the rank of sergeant.
The change to the state constitution, called the Illinois Workers’ Rights Amendment, approved by voters in 2022, states, “Employees shall have the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively. … No law shall be passed that interferes with, negates, or diminishes” those rights.
Supervisors generally are prohibited from joining a union of workers they supervise, to avoid conflicts of interest. But a new state law approved in August and effective July 1, 2026, states that police officers who take a written test for their rank are not classified as supervisors, and are therefore eligible to form a union.
Until recently, Arlington Heights village code had required promotion of sergeants by written tests and appointment by the independent Fire & Police Commission.
But on Nov. 17, the Arlington Heights Village Board approved a new ordinance, to take effect Jan. 1, to end the written test requirement and transfer authority for promotions to the village manager, as is already done for the commander, chief and deputy chief.
The change means, in effect, that sergeants are supervisors and ineligible to unionize.
The Metropolitan Alliance of Police (MAP), a union which represents more than 5,000 officers statewide, along with three Arlington Heights police officers, filed suit claiming that a memo from police Chief Nicholas Pecora Jr., shows the change was made to keep sergeants as supervisors, in effect preventing them from forming a union.
In a statement, union President Keith George called it “a blatant union-busting tactic.”
“Manipulating the promotion system to strip officers of their constitutional rights is both unlawful and unacceptable,” he said. “Through this lawsuit, we intend to make clear that no municipality has the authority to undermine the constitution or retaliate against officers who choose to organize.”
The union and officers asked the Cook County Circuit Court to declare the ordinance invalid, and restore the previous system of promotions.
Arlington Heights officials declined to comment. But in a memo to all sworn personnel Nov. 5, Pecora wrote that the change was meant to reflect best practice and administrative efficiency, adding, “The change is intended to be commensurate with the long-standing view of Arlington Heights Police Sergeants as supervisors, whose responsibilities and authorities match the historical definition and interpretation.”
The plaintiffs in the case include Arlington Heights police Officer Daniel Bell, Sgt. Brandi Romag and Detective Christopher Tatum.
Employers’ groups, including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and Illinois Municipal League, had opposed the pro-union amendment, arguing it would hurt businesses’ and municipalities’ ability to negotiate contracts, thereby raising labor costs and increasing property taxes.
