Free Republic

<p>Illinois employers warned they would lay off more than 1,000 workers in the coming months, according to notices filed with Illinois regulators in February.</p> <p>Accretive Health warned it would lay off 148 workers. The company said in January the layoffs are part of a broader restructuring in which positions will be moved from Chicago to other cities to be closer to clients. Accretive said then the layoffs could affect as many as 170 workers. The company employs about 600 people in the region.</p>

Labor leaders may think they need to jealously guard the long-term, sweetheart contracts they got from the Daley administration. Emanuel says that's not the case — he's looking for specific changes, he's not looking to fling the contracts wide open. More likely, the labor leaders realize this is just the opening bid. The city is trying to close a $30 million shortfall for this year. The budget gap for next year looks some 20 times larger.