Read below for more of Fran Spieman’s brilliant writing. Chicago Police in many cases need a second job just to make ends meet. Chicago Police know what kind of riff-raff attend Mayor Daley’s public schools. Chicago’s Catholic schools cost thousands of dollars. Also, in the papers, Illinois State law allows people to ship school kids to the suburbs for free quality education. More on this later. I agree with the Chicago Police to get extra pay for living in Chicago, lets face it, this Residency law is for political reasons only. Patrick McDonough.
]]>Daley takes vacation-day plea to unions
BUDGET WOES | City gets cold shoulder on unpaid day off
August 23, 2007
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
Mayor Daley wants rank-and-file city employees to make the same sacrifice he’s asked of their bosses to help close a $217 million budget gap: Unpaid furlough days. The request appears to be going nowhere.
One day after Daley ordered 2,000 city managers earning more than $75,000 a year to take a second unpaid vacation day, union leaders acknowledged they, too, have been approached. There was no mention of a specific number of unpaid vacation days. Nor was there any threat of layoffs if they fail to agree. They were simply told City Hall wants to open a dialogue with labor on the subject.
“If they want to talk about it, we’d be more than happy to talk. But as far as an accommodation on furlough days from the unionized work force, I don’t believe it’ll happen,” said Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon.
Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donahue said it sounded like Intergovernmental Affairs Chief John Dunn was “going through the motions” when Dunn approached the FOP about furlough days.
“He said, ‘I know what your response is going to be’ and he was right. We will not accept furlough days for our members,” said Donahue, who is demanding a 24 percent pay raise over four years and a $3,000-a-year residency stipend.
Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, slammed the door before being approached. “Our members don’t make that much money that they can afford to lose pay.”
Five years ago, Daley asked unions representing all city employees except police and fire to take five unpaid vacation days, put off pay raises for six months or face 425 layoffs.
When the ultimatum was ignored, Daley proceeded with layoffs, his first in a decade, to erase a $115 million shortfall. The city ended up laying off 659 workers.
It sounds like the mayor is actually doing something fair for a change, having those whose income comes from the taxpayers pockets to share, just a little, in the common experience of having to make do with less.
To be asked to take unpaid vacation days is perfectly fair.
To refuse is stupid, as any employer has the right to layoff it’s work force to remain solvent.
For the mayor to respond to this refusal by laying off employees is quite appropriate and commendable.
We, the taxpayers, wish he would do so more often.
Even better would be to require, as a condition of employment, a reduction in the number of paid vacation days.
Many taxpayers don’t have the good fortune to even have paid vacation days.
Or to have jobs that pay as much for as little work as city, county and state workers do.
The burdens, that these well paid and secure jobs these individuals have, placed on the backs of the taxpayers are heavy enough.
(Response) Remember, A Bad Union is Better than No Union. Patrick McDonough