Hundreds of officers began walking along Washington and Clark streets just after 10 a.m. holding signs. By 10:45 a.m., the throng of officers had crowded around the City Hall-County Building complex. They walked down Washington Street several people deep with signs and in one case, an American flag.
The officers have been working without a new contract and without pay raises since 2007.
Some officers are also angry with Mayor Richard M. Daley and believe the mayor did not treat seriously their "no-confidence" vote in Superintendent Jody Weis.
The FOP has been discussing the possibility of a picket over the past couple of days. On Friday, Chicago FOP President Mark Donahue confirmed with CBS 2 News that a picket will take place outside City Hall during the IOC visit on at 11 a.m. on Thursday of next week.
An FOP document said the union believes they have been "backed into a corner."
The blog Second City Cop, which his written by Chicago Police officers, has extensively discussed the picket.
The blog indicated that the picket has widespread support among officers, and that the National and State FOP Lodges had also pledged support, with scheduled appearances by National FOP President Chuck Canterbury and State FOP President Ted Street.
But the Chicago Police Sergeants' Association, a separate union which represents sergeants, decided not to participate in the picket.
"Due to our ongoing contract negotiations, the Executive Board of the CPSA has voted not to participate in the upcoming 'informational picketing,'" Sergeants' Association President John Pallohusky wrote in a letter posted on the union's Web site. "The CPSA Executive Board fully understands the frustrations that have prompted the other police unions to take this action, but at this time we believe the interests of the members of the Chicago Police Sergeants' Association are best served by the ongoing negotiation process."
Second City Cop said signs were being provided, but suggested that officers might also bring some other signs that family members could carry.
"Something like "My Daddy needs a Contract" will almost guarantee your kid face time on TV and will bring home the point that we've been trying to raise families in this city for the past two years while the aldercreatures and their staffs got large raises and the other unions got better than average offers in return for ten years of labor peace," Second City Cop wrote on Monday.
Last week, Lori Healey, president of Chicago 2016, said if the IOC runs into a police picket, local officials will simply explain it is a labor dispute "that's not directly related to 2016" and that "this is a city where people express their opinions."
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