City Council OK's Unpaid Furlough Days For City Workers

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jun 30, 2009 9:00PM

The City Council today voted 42-6 to approve 15 unpaid furlough days for non-union city workers in an effort to cut costs for the city as it continues to deal with massive budget issues. Ald. Edward Burke (14th) insisted it was to keep from losing jobs, saying, "I don't think we have much choice." Ald. Helen Shiller (46th) said, "We have to show [the unions] we're serious." According to Clout Street, the six votes against the plan were from Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), Robert Fioretti (2nd), Toni Preckwinkle (4th), Leslie Hairston (5th), Sandi Jackson (7th) and Joe Moore (49th). No word on who the two missing votes were from.

Clout Street also breaks down the specifics of the plan.

Workers will have to take six unpaid furlough days---or one a month---during the rest of the year. They also will lose pay for six remaining holidays. Non-union workers also will have to take off without pay three “reduced-service” days: the days after Thanksgiving and Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

Employees who earn $35,000 or less will not have to take the six furlough days. Altogether, the city expects to save $14 million by forcing the 15 unpaid days.

Negotiations between the unions and the City continue, though not much progress seems to have been made.