City Workers Protest Layoffs
By Kevin Robinson in News on Jun 24, 2009 4:00PM
Amid the ongoing game of political football that has defined negotiations over how to close the gap in the city's looming budget hole, one voice has been remarkably absent: city workers who would bear the brunt of the mayor's economic sanctions. That silence was broken yesterday as SEIU Local 73 members descended on the city council meeting to vent their anger at both the city and the union. Workers are angry at the city for forcing layoffs on them, and at their union for not accepting furlough days. “We will take the [furlough] days. We will make the adjustments. But somehow people are demanding something that we haven’t demanded,” detention aide John Joynter told the Sun-Times. “We are not being represented by either the city or the union. We have not had a voice in any of this. It’s like we’re pushed aside.”
Civilian police employees, like detention aides, crossing guards and traffic control workers will make up a sizable portion of the nearly 1,500 employees that will be removed from the city payroll. “They want to put more police officers on the street. How are you going to do that? If you take the detention aides out, you must put someone in that position,” detention aide Joe Campbell said. “No one wants to see police come off the street and then work in jobs that civilians have had. Everyone is trying to strive to have more police on the street. We all see what’s happening every day as it relates to crime and violence,” 29th Ward Alderman and Police Committee Chair Isaac Carothers said. Noting that the city council has no role in negotiations, he told workers “You are represented by your union leadership. They negotiate with the city.”
Matt Brandon, secretary-treasurer of Local 73 told the Sun-Times that he realizes the membership will take the furlough days. But he also said that the union wants nearly $4 million in raises that are due to city workers, retroactive to 2007. “We want that to be retro-fitted to those furlough days. In other words, 16 furlough days minus $3.8 million. Now, how many furlough days?” he said. Layoffs are set to take effect on July 15.