Posted on 07/15/2011 2:03:28 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
CHICAGO (Reuters) - With Chicago still facing a lingering deficit in its current budget, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday unveiled steps that will lead to up to 625 layoffs.
They include privatization of custodial services at city libraries and airports, benefits services and the water billing call center. Also about 126 seasonal workers in Chicago's transportation department would be discharged, resulting in a drop in curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements this year.
"Today, I'm taking steps because I cannot wish away this budget shortfall," the mayor told reporters.
Earlier this month, Emanuel said he would eliminate $20 million of the $31 million budget gap by not filling up to 200 positions and partnering the city's public health department with federally qualified community health centers, but he left the remaining $11 million up to city worker unions.
On Friday, the mayor released nine work-rule changes he said he proposed to unions. The changes, which would collectively save the city about $18 million, while preventing layoffs, have not been agreed to by the unions, he said.
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer said Emanuel's administration had made no attempt to negotiate the work-rule changes and that his union and the Chicago Federation of Labor were jointly conducting a review of city operations to develop cost-saving recommendations with input from workers.
"We will continue in that endeavor, despite the mayor's irresponsible actions today, because we believe it is the best way to make Chicago the city that works even better," Bayer said in a statement.
Emanuel said he continues to be open to any cost-saving ideas the unions might have.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Love the Chicago dogs and museums and pizza.. as for the politics..
NNnaaaa..
Where are the protests?
Uhhh,, in Wisconsin 8-? This is ChiTown.. you don’t mess with the machine.
Did any of the Aldermen skip town so this vote would’nt happen?
Or did Rahm pay the union bosses off so there was no need to get the grunts out on the streets?
Sounds like FIFO to me,hire a bunch of union workers you don’t need then fire them and say your cutting.
Rahm is taking it to the Chicago Teachers Union also. And he’s doing this without raising taxes(so far).
Hey Rahm, how about clueing in your old boss on how to cut spending?
Under the bill, other school districts have moved from being in the red $400,000 to being in the black $1,4 million, and reducing class sizes without laying off anyone.
Milwaukee had to lay off 500 people.
How’s that Socialism thing working out for you?
Since when? how did I miss this?
I'm shocked.
Let’s hope that every single one “laid off” is an Obama supporter, and then in a few months we can quiz them to see if they are still on the plantation.
Now if the Feds can layoff at least a million people
Notice no protests becasue it's a Democrat doing it.
That was amazing watching Chicago lawmakers leave the state to avoid voting... oh, wait. That didn’t happen.
But it was wild watching the City of Chicago decend into total financial collapse after their credit rating was downgraded... oh, that didn’t happen either.
Rahm must know Keynesian economics will save him, right? Ain’t this a crisis to not waste? Why isn’t he deficit spending into the multi-billions of dollars? THAT’s how ya fix the economy, doncha know?
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