Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for August 12, 2006 ARBITRATOR ORDERS REHIRING

From the WPSD TV Channel 6 website...

IL: Fired Cairo Police Employees To Be Hired Back

Gerran Thomas,
WPSD NewsChannel 6

Two Southern Illinois Police Officers and a dispatcher fired for their handling of an inmate's death will soon be back on the city payroll. Demetrius Flowers was arrested in Cairo, Illinois last December after a domestic disturbance. Just hours after the arrest, police found Flowers hanging in a holding cell by his shoelaces. Two police employees signed a waver admitting fault and were allowed to keep their jobs. But officers Gary Hankins and Timothy Brown and dispatcher Don Beggs were fired because they refused to sign. The fact the three are coming back to work isn't sitting well with everyone.

Two Police Officers and a dispatcher who are getting their jobs back aren't talking, but their Union Representative is. John Price says their dismissal was unfair. "In that type of situation they are usually put on administrative leave with pay. They wasnt allowed that. They were terminated on the spot and weren't allowed to have an investigation," says Price.

So the employees filed a grievance with Cairo Police. When the city and Union Representatives couldn't come to terms, the case went to an arbitrator. The arbitrator studied the facts and says the three who refused to sign a waiver were in no way responsible for Demetrius Flowers' death.And all three should get their jobs back along with seven-months back pay. "They should receive everything...sick days, health insurance it all should be reinstated as if they were never gone," Price adds.

The man who originally led the fight for Flowers, Charles Wilson is out of town, NewsChannel 6 spoke with Charles Cohen, the man who originally led the fight for Flowers, by phone. Cohen says he isn't surprised to learn the three are getting their jobs back. Cohen also says voters will ultimately respond at the polls. Other folks around town have mixed reaction to hear the news. "The ones who got fired should stay fired because whatever they do Demetrius Tyrone Flowers is not coming back from the dead," says Paul Lambert. "If they made a mistake on them, they outta return them back to their jobs. Everybody is charged with mistakes sometimes but right is supposed to be right and wrong is supposed to be wrong," Robert Moore said.

No matter what your side, Price says the opinion is a victory for the ex employees. He says all three will have the right to return to work at the department. Now it's up to the city to get them hired back. Flowers' Aunt told NewsChannel 6 she did not have anything to say. The arbitrator says the city has 7 days to re-hire the three workers.