It was a very bleak attendance for Harry Osterman, a multiple candidate for offices, at 5415 North Sheridan in Chicago. The meeting was scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and Harry was lucky to have 10 people in attendance. I was glad to go because I cover City of Chicago issues, workers issues, and labor issues. I brought government workers concerned with their jobs and furlough days. After a couple of questions, one of the guys in attendance threatened me and harassed Joe Yost. The man stated he was on the board and acted very difficult. (For lack of a better word). The staff at the building was very professional and very courteous towards me at all times. I have a video of the event and did not understand Harry Osterman’s strange behavior towards me and others asking questions. I will put a rant video together that would make Rich Miller of Capitol Fax proud. I think the future video will speak for itself. Politicians need to remember, people are out of work and they want the questions answered. And being 45 minutes late with no phone call is just unprofessional. It just gets thing started in the wrong direction. Or as one guy that greeted Harry Osterman said, “Your Late!” Photo by Patrick McDonough
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Connected city worker spared in merger, layoffs
Never knew she had clout, Special Events director says
October 22, 2010
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
Clout apparently still counts in City Hall jobs — despite Mayor Daley’s promise to implement a personnel system free of politics in the wake of a hiring scandal that cost taxpayers $12 million to compensate victims of the city’s rigged hiring system.
The wife of a former Democratic ward boss — who also happens to be the daughter-in-law of a former alderman — has survived a departmental merger that will eliminate 13 jobs and force nine layoffs.
Maureen Volini was a $73,752 administrative services officer for the Mayor’s Office of Special Events.
Now that Daley’s final budget is merging Special Events with the Department of Cultural Affairs, Volini has avoided the ax with a transfer to the Department of Procurement Services.
Volini is the wife of former 48th Ward Committeeman Mike Volini, a $111,012-a-year assistant commissioner in the city’s Transportation Department. She’s the daughter-in-law of former Ald. Marion Volini (48th).
Peter Scales, a spokesman for the city’s Office of Budget and Management, acknowledged that the merger eliminated 13 jobs “to achieve efficiencies and eliminate re- dundancies.”
Nine of those jobs were filled and will require layoffs, all in Cultural Affairs. Three vacancies will be eliminated. One person, Volini, will be transferred to Procurement Services.
“Both departments currently have an employee managing personnel-related issues — timekeeping, payroll, hiring and discipline –which provided a surplus personnel position. At the same time, the Department of Procurement Services has been without an employee to handle personnel-related matters,” Scales wrote in an e-mail to the Sun-Times.
“So [Volini] was transferred to Procurement Services [at] a lower salary than the previous position that was eliminated at [Procurement]. Therefore, this transfer provided a cost savings.”
Special Events Director Megan McDonald denied that Volini was spared because of politics.
“As long as I’ve known Maureen, I wasn’t aware of clout at all,” McDonald said.
Volini’s co-workers don’t buy it. In an e-mail to the Sun-Times, one said, “It pays to be the wife of a [former] ward committeeman. How many other downsized people were as fortunate to have such a parachute? If everyone is getting a soft landing, how much is the city really saving?”
Where is Shakman, Inspector and Monitor ? (Response) Dats what I axin!