Scare Tactic or Not, 1,100 City Workers to be Laid Off

By Kate Gardiner in News on May 9, 2009 7:30PM

The state of the economy, and a looming $300 million budget gap has left at least 1,100 city employees at risk of being laid off if their unions do not agree to two weeks of unpaid downtime instead of cash overtime. According to the Sun-Times,

"Most union contracts require employees targeted for layoff to be notified 30 days in advance.

During closed-door briefings this week, aldermen were told that city department heads were in the process of identifying employees and that 1,100 layoff notices were imminent."

The process of mailing lay off notices is usually a government maneuvering tactic, though Ald. Pat O'Connor told the newspaper that it isn't - and that the city actually intends to carry through on the deal if the unions don't agree. According to the Sun-Times, Mayor Daley said that he cannot guarantee a lay-off-free recession. "There's predictions of next year being worse. That's the thing you're really concerned about. ... Is [the shortfall] gonna be $350 or $400 million? I wish I could ... predict it, but I cannot. That's the thing we worry about," he said. "This is a much more serious recession that people don't realize. It's not gonna just flip back. This is gonna be very slow getting out of. ... We're trying to get this set. We're gonna be trying to work it. But, if I said, 'I guarantee you everything'--it's very, very difficult."

Last fall, Daley threatened to lay off nearly 1,000 employees and ended up cutting deals with union leaders that reduced the final number to 420." Last week, the number of employees threatened was 1,600 - the same 1,100 with union protection, and 500 other unfortunates. Everyone else, it seems, must go on furlough. And don't tell Daley the economy's turning around because he's having none of it.