The City of East Chicago has agreed to pay $1.2 million to resolve a federal lawsuit brought by members of East Chicago Professional Firefighters Local 365 alleging they were subjected to retaliation for engaging in protected First Amendment activity.

The settlement brings to a close litigation arising from a dispute that began in 2019 after the union endorsed the opponent of then-incumbent Mayor Anthony Copeland in the municipal election. According to the allegations in the lawsuit, firefighters had become increasingly critical of the administration over frozen wages and benefits, staffing concerns, and other issues affecting the department, this despite the fact the mayor himself was a former firefighter.

Following the election, relations between the city and the union continued to deteriorate. Local 365 President David Mata and members of the East Chicago Common Council proposed an ordinance that would have restored some of the compensation and benefits that had previously been eliminated. Although the ordinance passed the council by a 5-4 vote, Mayor Copeland vetoed it, and the council lacked sufficient votes to override the veto.

Shortly thereafter, the city unilaterally replaced the department’s traditional 24-hours-on/48-hours-off schedule with a rotating eight-hour swing shift consisting of an eight-hour day shift, followed by 24 hours off, then an eight-hour evening shift, followed by 24 hours off, then an eight-hour overnight shift, followed by another 24 hours off before repeating the cycle. The city also removed beds from at least one fire station, explaining that they were no longer needed because firefighters were working eight-hour shifts.

The firefighters contended that the scheduling changes were not motivated by operational concerns, but instead were imposed in retaliation for the union’s political activity and its criticism of the administration. The federal lawsuit alleged that the city’s actions violated the firefighters’ rights under the First Amendment.

As previously covered on Fire Law Blog, the scheduling dispute also spawned related litigation in both federal and Indiana state courts. In March of 2022, the federal district court issued a preliminary injunction ordering the city to restore the 24/48 schedule while the constitutional claims proceeded. The Seventh Circuit affirmed that injunction in December of 2022.

In a story we covered recently in May of 2026, the Indiana Court of Appeals returned the related state-law class action to the trial court after concluding that the trial court failed to provide the notice required for class actions under Indiana trial court rules.

According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, the parties ultimately accepted a settlement proposal made by a mediator in May 2026. The agreement resolves the First Amendment retaliation litigation for $1.2 million, including damages and attorney fees.

IAFF General President Edward Kelly characterized the outcome as a victory for the firefighters’ constitutional rights, stating:

“No fire fighter should face retaliation for speaking up about public safety. Local 365 was right to fight back. This settlement is a hard-fought victory for them, and the IAFF was proud to stand with our East Chicago members to defend their rights.”

Local 365 President David Mata likewise described the dispute as stemming from the union’s efforts to obtain fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions, stating:

“The only things this union has ever sought are fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions. And these actions taken by the city felt like punishment for speaking up when those basic needs were not being met.”