A fired DuPage County sheriff’s dispatcher has filed an unfair labor practice complaint with state officials alleging he lost his job for distributing union materials.
Aaron Hoffman says he was dismissed for circulating a union petition in December, according to documents filed with the Illinois Labor Relations Board. Hoffman is seeking his reinstatement, the expunging of his employment record and back pay.
Documents filed in Springfield on behalf of Hoffman and the Metropolitan Alliance of Police unit that he sought to organize allege Hoffman was fired “for the purpose of preventing further organization of that unit.” The firing was formally attributed to the mishandling of a 911 call, the filing states.
“The sheriff’s action was taken to intimidate and prevent participation in and support for the Metropolitan Alliance of Police,” according to the complaint.
DuPage Sheriff John Zaruba called the complaint “baseless” and declined to comment further. Attorney’s for the sheriff’s office could not immediately be reached to comment.
Zaruba and his predecessor, Richard Doria, have opposed efforts by sheriff’s employees to form a union.
Brian Reynolds, executive director of the labor board, said an investigator will be assigned to look into the matter. “We have to see whether this warrants a hearing or should be dismissed,” Reynolds said.
Either party involved in the case can appeal any eventual board action to the appellate court, he said. The board is responsible for administering the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, which covers unions and public employers.
The Hoffman document is the second filed with the labor board this month outlining allegations against the sheriff’s police. Officers for the Metropolitan Alliance of Police have complained that hiring practices in the office also discourage union membership.
