Daley, City Council Float Furlough For Police, Fire Departments

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Oct 29, 2009 4:20PM

In his 2010 budget presented last week, Daley included 24 unpaid days (12 holidays, 12 furlough days) for all non-union and many union city employees. One group he can't force these unpaid days upon are the Police and Fire Departments. But that's not stopping Daley from making overtones suggesting that those departments should take one for the team and join the unpaid train. Said the Mayor, “Everyone has to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. And that’s why I’m taking 24 days without pay, and I got other people to take that, because you have to show that government understands the suffering that is going on throughout your communities.”

Daley's not alone, though. A few aldermen and city officials have joined the Mayor in urging the departments to consider the furlough days. Per the Tribune's report:

If police and fire unions agreed to furloughs, the city would save $120 million, city Budget Director Eugene Munin said in response to a question from Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, at a City Council budget hearing today.

“That’s 120 million we could save the taxpayers of the City of Chicago if we had cooperation from just two of the outstanding four unions,” Beale responded...

"Why can’t everybody take part in bringing the expenses down so that we don’t have to force a lot of these folks to take furlough days?" [31st Ward Ald. Ray] Suarez asked. "Because I think it’s a little unfair to ask a single provider from a family who’s making forty-five or fifty thousand dollars to give back not just 12 furlough days, but the 12 holidays. Why can’t this be done? What’s the problem?"

Of course, as we said, Daley can't force these unpaid days on the departments; they have to be approved by the unions. And, as the Trib points out, the city's contract with each union has expired and the negotiations with the police union has been particularly contentious. Bottom line, expect a lot of blustery pressure from the mayor but, given the lack of new contracts as well as the continuing issue of being understaffed - the Sun-Times reports today that the CPD is 2,000 officers short of its authorized strength of 13,500 officers - don't expect much budging from either union.