Mayor Emanuel's announcement Friday of the firing of 625 union employees sent shock waves across the entire city workforce. Emanuel declared his intention to replace most of the fired workers with low wage/zero benefit workers from the private sector.
The Union's representing the fired workers seemed to be caught off guard. Statements like those from CFL President Jorge Ramirez, "...We're willing to be partners. But this is no way to treat a partner." AFSCME Executive Director Henry Beyer said "....We were particularly disappointed..."
"Willing to be partners"? "Disappointed"? How lame. Someone in the rank and file needs to grab these 'leaders' by collar and shake some outrage, not to mention courage, into them. A more appropriate response would have been the announcement of a full blown organizing drive, not just of any privatized work force replacements of those fired on Friday, but of the non-union teachers currently at CPS charter schools as well.
Union leaders better understand one thing, this Mayor is not your partner. He is your adversary. Emanuel is a millionaire many times over. He cannot and will not relate to those who work for a living. He just kicked you in the groin. Get back up and kick him in the groin, and then kick him in the shins.
Union leaders better start ramping up the rhetoric as well.
Emanuel is a bully, and needs to be treated like one.
Rahm Emanuel sends layoff notices to city workers in union showdown
By FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter July 15, 2011 10:48AM
Mayor Rahm Emanuel exits a press conference after announcing the possibility of layoffs to balance the 2011 city budget at City Hall Friday, July 15, 2011, in Chicago. | John J. Kim~Sun-Times
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is sending layoff notices to about 625 city of Chicago employees — and delaying 61 blocks of curb and gutter improvements and 76 blocks of sidewalk repairs — after union leaders didn’t agree to work-rule changes the mayor wants or offer alternate ways to cut costs by a deadline Friday. “My duty as mayor is to protect our city’s taxpayers and be their voice — not to protect the city’s payroll,” Emanuel said at a City Hall news conference Friday. “No amount of smoke and mirrors can put off the tough decisions any longer.”
The layoffs — which Emanuel said will save roughly $12 million — target 75 percent cut of the Chicago Department of Transportation’s “seasonal” workforce, as well as custodians at O’Hare Airport, Midway Airports and the city’s public libraries; and workers who run the city’s water-bill call center and manage city benefits.
The transportation department layoffs will be begin immediately. As a result, city curb and gutter repairs are being put off until next year.
Custodial services, benefits management and the water-bill call center will be privatized after 30- and 45-day layoff notices go out.
Emanuel said he bent over backward to avoid laying off city employees even as he’s been touting how he’s helped bring 3,600 private-sector jobs to Chicago since he took office in May.
Friday’s layoff notices came after Emanuel eliminated unpaid furlough days for city workers, saying that cost-saving move implemented by former Mayor Richard M. Daley was a “morale-killer.” He came up with a $19 million menu of cost-saving work-rule changes and agreed to a requested two-week delay — until Friday — on those so the Chicago Federation of Labor could try to come up with alternate ways to cut back.
In the meantime, the mayor made $20 million in budget cuts that didn’t affect union jobs.
Emanuel said Friday that the revised deadline has arrived, and he can’t wait any longer to deal with the financial time bomb left behind by Daley, who balanced his final city budget with union concessions not yet negotiated. At midnight on June 30, an agreement expired that had required unionized city employees to take the equivalent of 24 unpaid furlough days a year and substitute compensatory time off for cash overtime.
“I recognize that the workers affected here are people with families to support and bills to pay, and they are going to be cast into an economy that is scarce on jobs,” Emanuel said. “But there are millions of hard-working families across the city who are trying to pay bills every day, get their kids to school every day or in camp. They’re trying to make ends meet on a paycheck that may run out by the end of the month. Those are the people [who] pay the bills [and] that expect the services.”
The decision to delay curb, gutter and sidewalk repairs did not sit well with Chicago aldermen.
“It’s already taking a long time to get projects complete. ... I have projects on my 2009 aldermanic menu that still haven’t been finished,” said Ald. Joe Moore (49th).
“We’re just gonna need to adjust the expectations of the public with respect to how fast things can get done. But, it’s tough. People are already frustrated that it’s taking too long to complete projects.”
Emanuel’s decision to pull the trigger on layoffs escalates a high-stakes standoff with organized labor that is only in Round One.
Even more concessions or layoffs will be needed to erase a $700 million operating shortfall in the city’s 2012 budget — and $500 million more when unfunded pension liabilities are factored in. The mayor said he remains open to budget-cutting ideas.
Chicago Federation of Labor President Jorge Ramirez accused the mayor of throwing “gasoline” on a fire by pulling the trigger on layoff notices without negotiating work-rule changes with individual unions and before he sees alternative savings identified by the federation’s consultant.
That report is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
Ramirez insisted there have been “no negotiations over work-rule changes — period” with local unions whose members would be impacted by those salary-shaving changes.
“When there’s a fire, you don’t pour gasoline on it. ... We’ve shared the sacrifice. We’re willing to be partners. But, this is no way to treat a partner. ... .It’s taking a bad problem, and it’s making it worse,” Ramirez said of the layoff notices.
“These people have suffered a lot ... in this furlough arrangement. They had a previous mayor who never told ‘em, `Thank you.‚ And they have a current mayor who’s never said, ‘Thank you.’ Layoffs are matters of last resort. It’s what you have to do when all other options have been exhausted. I don’t think all other options have been exhausted.”
Henry Bayer, executive director of AFSCME Council 31, agreed that neither the mayor nor his representatives have made any attempt to meet with his union to negotiate specific changes.
“If the mayor were serious ... he would have taken the appropriate measures to engage in such discussions. The fact that he has never done so is clear evidence that this attempt to blame union work rules for the city’s massive deficit is public relations gimmickry,” Bayer said a statement.
He added, “We are surprised and disappointed at Mayor Emanuel’s scattershot approach to the city’s budget shortfall. We are particularly disappointed that most of his bullets are aimed at frontline employees who do the real work of city government.”
Other union sources called the mayor’s decision “premature,” a “mistake” and a scare tactic that would alienate rank-and-file union members who took a 10 percent pay cut each of the last two years.
Two weeks ago, the Chicago Federation of Labor said it had hired a consultant to scour the city budget to pinpoint alternative savings. The federation said it needed more time to finish that report.
Emanuel granted the extension, setting a new deadline — of Friday.
Sources said the coalition of union leaders affiliated with the CFL is expected to meet Monday to review the recommendations, followed by a meeting with city officials.
This is just the beginning. Rahm starts off with the low wage earners because they won't fight back. Just wait, Rahm is going to chip away at every department at get rid of as many city workers as possible including teachers, cops and firemen.. He might strt out my privatizing certain programs within each of these departments, but he will do it. Look out trades, CTU, FOP and CFF unions...he will be gunning for you soon
ReplyDeleteSo Jim, how do you expect Rahm to fill the 30 million dollar deficit that King Shortshanks left him as a mayoral present, and the 600 million dollar shortfall he is going to have to fill next year? You need to stop watching Harry Potter, there are no magic wands. Time to stop the denial and tune into reality, we have this thing called a recession going on.
ReplyDeleteWhat does our alderman say about this? I would like to know where Mary O'Connor stands. I am a democrat and union supporter. Where is our voice from elected officials that were supported heavily by unions?
ReplyDeleteYour right about Daley, 10:55. But Emanuel did not attack, let alone mention, the idiot Short Shanks. Instead, he took it out on the victims of the Short Shanks regime - the taxpayers, by cutting back on services, and the 625 workers, by firing them.
ReplyDeleteAs for the many millions needed to even the budget, we can start by not giving away free water and sewer service to the rich and powerful in this town, as we currently do. And by not offering up our city to host the NATO and G8 conferances next year, as Emanuel has done. Every other city in the world dread these conferances, but Emanuel welcomes them with open arms. Go figure.
Maybe Emanuel could propose a manufacturing policy. Use Eminent Domain to lure manufactors back to town by giving away any of the thousands of abandoned factories adjacent to railroad tracks. Oops, I forgot. He's the NAFTA guy. never mind.
10:55am Are you kidding? Rahm would look legit if he cut costs at the top first- yes, cut the city council in half as he promised. Cuts need to come from the top down... and not from the bottom taking advantage of the most vulnerable workers - that is oppressive leadership, seen in third world countries all over the world.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that most of the low paying jobs mentioned in the papers are jobs held by women. I wonder how many of those pink slips went to women?
ReplyDeleteMary, where are you? What is your reply? Are you for or against what the mayor did? Is your answer that the firings are an unfortunate necessity? If so, CFL, I believe that you did not endorse anyone including union gals/guys.
ReplyDeleteHow many are SEIU workers..
ReplyDeleteMary, did you stand up for the SEIU workers who some slaved cleaning toilets in order to provide the following contributions/services to your campaign coffers per the IL board of election website?
1/28/2011...$2,500.00
3/2/2011...$222.12
3/19/2011...$5,000.00
3/19/2011....$5,000.00
3/30/2011....$105.95
4/7/2011.....$7876.19
Help us Mary, we helped you!
To 11:46 "And by not offering up our city to host the NATO and G8 conferances next year, as Emanuel has done. Every other city in the world dread these conferances, but Emanuel welcomes them with open arms. Go figure." Fully agree. Get ready for the mayhem.
ReplyDeleteSEIU members worked for Alderman O'Connor's campaign. So now lets see what she does for them. This could be her swan song
ReplyDeleteEmanuel is a smuck
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows s _ _ _ runs down so Emanuel should start cuts at the top but we call know that won't ever happen. Because those at the top are all his buddies, his contributors and his
ReplyDeletea_ _ kissers. He's a little man with a napoleonic complex. I'm so very sorry I voted for him, he's nothing but a putz
How is laying off city workers helping anyone? They'll all apply for unemployment (which they should do) and put the state deeper in debt. But don't blame me...I didn't vote for him
ReplyDeleteThe laid off workers will need to apply for unemployment, medicaid and food stamps, all tax payer funded government programs.
ReplyDeleteTheir replacements, the new contracted privatized workers, who will make minimim wage and receive no benefits, will also receive medicaid and food stamps - most working poor, minimum wage workers qualify.
So, the taxpayers will be paying for medicaid, food stamps and other entitlements for 1250 workers indefinately.
This layoff did more harm than good.
And I agree, Rahm should have started layoffs at the top: 1300+ middle managers making $100,000- $180,000/year... And most likely they would not have to be replaced and could more easily find jobs in the private sector.
I saw this happen at the company I work for. The CEO wanted to save a few bucks, so got rid of the custodial staff and the kitchen staff who had been around for years. He replaced those workers by outsourcing to a company who hired undocumented workers with fake social security numbers. Easy to tell, no one spoke English.
ReplyDeleteEmanuel seems to be laughing and smiling in the press conference picture ...creepy
ReplyDeleteAs the fallout from Mayor Emanuels' ruthless threat to fire 625 fellow Chicagoans begins to settle, many wonder how long will it take for the next sledgehammer to drop. And on whom? It may be the Chicago Water Department. Specifically the Billing and Customer Service department.
ReplyDeleteLocated at 333 s. State st, the Citys' web site pictures 2 female employees at work. The likelyhood that the the Billing Center is staffed by a majority female - check that - a unionized majority female work force - drastically increases the odds of their being outsourced by Emanuel. Look no further than his out-of-the- starting-gate attack on the Chicago Teachers Union. He'll fire women first.
So who is Emanuel looking to outsource their jobs to? There are plenty of would-be bidders. A quick web search will show companies like 'American Conservation and Billing Services.' Their web page promises to magically eliminate errors common with municiple billing. By implication the site deems all municiple employees incompetent, and if you hire their low wage, zero benefits workforce, your towns' billing and call center problems will be solved.
So where is American Conservation and Billing Service(s) located? The site neglects to mention where, and it is doubtfull the operators would give up that information.
Outsourcing Call Centers is the corporate rage. Our local Gas utility, Peoples Energy, outsourced their Call Center several years ago. The PE Call center is now loacated in North Carolina. So when you call PE for service and hear an Aunt Bee twang on the other end of the line, you'll know why. Be patient, that operator probably handles delivery orders for the local Pizza Hut as well.
How well does the outsourcing of Call Centers work for consumers? Check the streak of last place, or next to last place ratings by the J.D. Powers survey for PE the last few years. So to summerize, a Wisconsin Company owns our natural gas infastructure, and chooses North Carolina to handle Call Center operations. Do the N. Carolina operators work in an office building or in their own homes? Who knows. But stay on the line, your call is very important to them.
It would be nice if someone, anyone, of our 50 alderman questioned what Emanuel is doing. Gutless.
Carol Main did a great segment about the 625 jobs lay off. She had the AFSCHME Exec Director on, Dan M., reporter from the Chicago News Co-op and a dude from the Civic Federation on the panel. It came out that Rahn NEVER formally met with AFSCHME and never put anything in writing about proposed work rule changes.
ReplyDeleteAll a big Rahm lie.
Carol asked them why certain unions are sacred cows, like the police and fire fighters unions. The panel agreed CPD is management top heavy and lots of dead weight needs to go and that the entire fire dept staffing patterns need to be evaluated and be brought up to date with real needs.
They all agreed Rahm started with the easiest to target union work forces - the poorer/low wage workers. Some interesting data: 80% of the city budget goes to payroll- about 60% of that 80% goes to the police and fire departments - watch out
Did anyone see Emanuels' blow-up with Ch. 5 reporter Mary Ann Ahern? He became indignant when Ahern had the nerve to ask why his kids will attend an exclusive private school. Like Daley before him, Emanuel is willfully blind to the rank hypocracy of claiming to know what's best for Public Education while keeping his own kids as far away from it as possible.
ReplyDeleteHe hides behind his family's right to privacy. Sorry Mayor, you were elected to public office, not private office. I was not fooled by his man-of the-people-schtick during his mayoral run. Shaking hands with people at train stations who were hurrying to work. Walking into Bowling alleys late in the evening, mugging for cameras with people out having a good time. His reaction to Aherns' questioning is priceless, exposing him as a true snob.
Bet he's not laying off his cronies and contributors. Seems like we went from bad to worse
ReplyDeleteSomebody should lay off Emanuel
ReplyDelete