Pay Attention Chicago - Pay Attention

Lease off city assets, Lie, Cheat and Steal from the city budget. Pay the head cop twice the salary anyone deserves for the job. Sit back and watch while black workers are replaced by illegal aliens, pay no attention to the fact that the mayor wants to keep schools opened year round (schools will need air conditioning, teachers lives will be affected, parents lives as well) and now the mayor claims workers besides getting a three week vacation want them to take off three weeks without pay?

I suggest that the city no longer have Pulaski Day and a number of other non Federal holidays!

How is it that technology has reduced the number of workers and yet the city's budget continue to soar and soar? All those lawsuits paid out does add up. Building huge police department edifices that take up blocks of commercial land like the new 15th district - again a waste of resources - all add up to the total mismanagement of the monies going to the city of Chicago.

Perhaps we can update the mayor's job and make it part time? Can we save money taking away his 24 hour police protection. Does the mayor really need to be driven around in a car paid for by the city? We do have a wonderful public transportation system.

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Mayor Daley order: Up to 16 unpaid days off for some city workers to ease budget crunch
Applies to nonunion staff, unions facing pressure to match
Comments

May 7, 2009

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter fspielman@suntimes.com
Mayor Daley today will order 3,500 nonunion employees to take up to 16 days off without pay by Dec. 31, turning up the heat on union leaders to agree to similar concessions.

Last month, Daley threatened to lay off 1,600 city employees -- none sworn police officers or firefighters -- unless organized labor agrees to another round of givebacks to erase a $300 million shortfall.

» Click to enlarge image Mayor Daley plans to order 3,500 nonunion employees to take up to 16 days off without pay, and is asking some of the unions to do the same thing.
(John J. Kim/Sun-Times)



They were asked to pick their poison from a $68.9 million menu that includes two furlough days a month for nine months ($24.9 million); comp time instead of cash for overtime ($17.8 million); making six remaining 2009 holidays unpaid ($9 million); a 5 percent pay cut ($12.9 million) and eliminating the July 1 increase in the prevailing wage ($12.9 million).

So far, none of the unions has agreed to cuts. Some are concerned about how city givebacks would impact private-sector negotiations. Others want a guarantee that, if concessions are granted, there won't be layoffs for the next two years.

Daley is apparently tired of waiting for an answer.

The mayor plans to turn up the heat today by ordering nonunion employees to take up to 16 days off without pay -- through a combination of furlough days, elimination of paid holidays and sick days.

City employees not otherwise covered by collective-bargaining agreements get 12 paid sick days each year, which many choose to stockpile. They also get 12 paid holidays each year.

"We can't control the unions. But this is a piece we can control," said a top mayoral aide, who asked to remain anonymous.

"We're facing a serious budget deficit. The unions will have to help us, or there will be layoffs."

Daley's 2009 budget was precariously balanced by laying off 420, eliminating 1,600 vacancies, slowing police hiring and raising taxes, fines and fees by $52.5 million.