The Pink Slips Have Been Flying Since Forrest Claypool Assumed Control Of CTA
By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 14, 2014 8:30PM
The Tribune has a thought-provoking article in Tuesday’s paper looking at the attrition rate of CTA employees since Forrest Claypool was named president of the transit agency in 2011. Claypool talked tough about cleaning up CTA and firing employees who either didn’t show up for work or flaunted the agency’s rules.
So far, Claypool has lived up to that promise. Between assuming control of CTA in May 2011 through the first six months of 2014, more than 900 employees have been served walking papers under Claypool’s watch. A total of 142 employees were fired by CTA in 2011 but the pink slips truly started to fly the following year, when 202 employees lost their jobs. That number increased to 361 firings last year, and 230 through the first six months of 2014. The majority of terminations have been bus operators, so if you’ve encountered cordial bus drivers more often these days, they could be walking on eggshells for fear of being next.
Prior to Claypool’s appointment as CTA president, firings at the agency declined from 238 in 2008 to 134 in 2010. While CTA looks at the firing numbers as proof they're following through on weeding out the bad apples at the agency, union leaders claim the agency “abandoned a long-standing policy of progressive discipline for poor performance or misconduct and was losing good employees.” Javier Perez, who represents bus drivers and mechanics for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241, told the Tribune progressive discipline appears to be arbitrary these days. Agency spokesman Brian Steele said the union is crying foul because they’re now being held to a higher standard and that CTA’s progressive discipline policy now includes immediate firings in safety matters such as the firing of fill-in train operator Brittney Haywood, who fell asleep behind the controls of a Blue Line train as it plowed into the O’Hare station last March.
All that said, it’s unknown if the firings have resulted in improved customer service. CTA’s riders may have their own opinions on that they’re willing to share.