A preliminary injunction was put in place Monday by a Territorial Court judge to keep police officers on St. Croix from taking part in any kind of job actions.
Judge Maria Cabret’s decision follows several outbreaks of "blue flu" that caused 35 of the 57 officers scheduled to work on Sept. 24 to call in sick. On Sept. 25, 40 officers out of 70 staged a sickout, as did 30 out of 66 officers the following day.
Cabret issued the injunction against the St. Croix Police Benevolent Association’s members, particularly officers of the rank of corporal and below. Cabret said that according to the PBA’s collective bargaining agreement and the Public Employees Labor Relations Act, the officers are classified as Class III employees and are prohibited from striking due to public safety issues.
In a related hearing at Territorial Court on Monday, Judge Edgar Ross postponed a hearing concerning the V.I. government’s request for a preliminary or permanent injunction barring members of the Law Enforcement Supervisors Union from taking part in job actions. The hearing is now scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m.
In the meantime, a temporary restraining order already issued by Ross bars police sergeants and higher-ranking personnel from taking part in any job actions until the issue is heard.