East St. Louis, IL, police officers filed a petition against the city and mayor on Thursday after waiting years to receive court-ordered retroactive pay since 2016.

More than a handful of officers protested with signs about back pay outside of City Hall, getting the attention of city council members meeting inside and residents driving by. Sgt. Keith Randolph and others then walked inside City Hall to speak during the public comments portion of a city council committee meeting.

Randolph reminded the public and members of the council of the importance of their jobs, which is why they continue to serve despite not receiving their back pay over the years, STLToday reports.

"We are not sitting up here asking for anything that’s just outlandish. We’re asking for our just due," said Randolph to the city council members and public on Thursday.

On top of not paying all of the wage increases, which the state courts have ordered multiple times, the East St. Louis police officers say the city and police department refuse to recognize their new union as a collective bargaining unit.

Officers started receiving their negotiated pay increases in March 2022, but they say they have yet to receive retroactive pay from 2016 to 2022. They estimate there is about $1.2 million owed to about 40 current and retired officers.