Chicago To Layoff 1,000 City Employees

UPDATE

The Chicago Police union ripped Mayor Daley over reports that he would leave hundreds of police department vacancies unfilled as he attempts to close the city's projected $420 million budget shortfall.

"It's a stupid move at a time when violent crime is on the rise in Chicago. We recently lost two police officers--and now, the mayor is gonna further reduce the numbers," said Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donahue.

"This mayor -- or somebody in his administration -- needs to stop by midnight roll calls anywhere in the city and observe the number of one-man cars that are patrolling our city streets during some of the busiest hours...You can go to some districts and see every beat car that's out has a one-man car overnight."

The Chicago Police Department has 329 vacancies and 424 openings for non-sworn police employees, all of which could go unfilled if Daley follows through on his reported plan to lay off 1,000 city employees and eliminate 3,000 vacant jobs. Not filling the CPD jobs would directly contradict a City Hall pledge to add to the department's ranks.

On Saturday, Daley insisted that there is no connection between rising crime rates and lagging police hiring.

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Mayor Daley will eliminate 3,000 vacant positions and lay off 1,000 city employees -- 735 of them union members -- to solve Chicago's worst budget crisis in a generation, union leaders were told Monday.

The biggest hit will be felt by Laborers Union Local 1001, whose members are in line for 300 pink slips in the Streets and Sanitation Department.

That's likely to mean major changes in garbage collection, tree trimming and other housekeeping services. Possibilities range from lengthening the time between pickups -- once-a-week now in most neighborhoods, twice-a-week in congested areas -- to privatizing recycling and shrinking crew sizes.

"They put an average of 350 trucks out-a-day. To cut 300 bodies -- they're probably gonna go to every other week pickup. That's probably the only way they can do it. Either that, or every 10 days," said Lou Phillips, business manager of Laborers Local 1001.

Read the entire article here.

Comments

[Chicago48]

Sorry but this is simple economics, simple math. Not enough revenues coming in to cover the costs. This probably hurts the Mayor the hardest because he loves the city and he has seen its growth. And because of our bum economy, he might see its demise. I don't begrudge him for taking the hard line which is necessary. He sees the budget bottom line, we don't. What will happen is that more people will leave the city and go elsewhere, more talented people because there's little opportunity here. I'm lucky to work for one of the universities and feel fairly secure. But I feel sorry for the city workers and some of the private industry workers in finance. It's a sad time in this country. I blame the president and his focus on the war in Iraq. All those billions of dollars down the drain....and for what?

[1manisland]

Chicago48 - I can agree to some degree what you say, but the Mayor is a bit responsible also. First off, he should be more concerned with spending money on having better schools, not the Best Airport, an Olympics, or any other Legacy projects right now. The economy sucks, but he seems to be out of the country almost every month. I don't care who foots the bill for it, but he should spend more time here instead of finding new ways to spend our money with ideas outside the country. It doesn't look right.

I'm not the first to say it, but time to cut the private contracts. No need to repeat all the reasons why. I love watching Landscapers like Christy Weber get paid to water flowers after all the rain we've had & where there are automatic sprinklers already. More and more you see 8 guys watching one guy work in these contracted companies, yet we have accused City workers for doing the same. Tell me how privitization cost less. We know it cost money when City workers do the work. But contractors have to add a profit to the cost. So truly, which do you think cost more ?

[yammit]

Mayor Daley could look at a the massive amount of city paid drivers for those of clout and excess staff workers.

[maxwellimus]

I'm glad that Daley is cutting jobs instead of borrowing more money or asking for more by raising taxes.

[Eric8869]

Hope they lay off the rude nasty ones that the public always has to deal with. (and you know who they are)

[Chicago48]

I have never met rude nasty ones....those city workers work very hard. You try doing what they do, dealing with the public every day.