Could CTA Cut Jobs To Save Cash?

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Feb 17, 2009 5:20PM

We mentioned yesterday the newest round of Transit Doom and how the RTA doesn't intend to do much about it with state funds, but instead asking the individual agencies to maneuver their way through it on their own. And because of that, the CTA may have to look to cut jobs to save money. According to the Chi-Town Daily News, the CTA's board will consider an ordinance authorizing job cuts at their meeting tomorrow. It'd be part of an effort to meet the agency's $1.3 billion operating budget for 2009.

Last year, former CTA President Ron Huberman estimated that labor costs would total 67 percent of the budget, about six percentage points fewer than in the previous year.

He proposed cutting positions for 210 administrators and 186 maintenance workers and facility operators. Huberman also called for cuts to 135 positions for bus and rail operators -- mostly track flagmen, customer assistants and towermen -- citing decreased construction this year.

The CTA Board will meet tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the CTA's office at 567 W. Lake St.