I have been very busy getting ready for the fall of the Chicago Union worker. I am a Democrat from way back when. I never thought I would see such a lack of leadership in the Chicago Union; people so scared and crippled as Dennis Gannon and the Chicagoland Union Management team. Dennis looks like a wounded puppy every time he is pictured at the latest City Hall bargaining sessions. Chicago labor bosses live like kings and their laziness is quickly destroying the union worker in Chicago. President Barack Obama enjoyed the Union money that made him a leader of the free world, but what did he do to deserve it? He bailed out the banks and America is quickly falling apart. George Bush made sure Chicago City Workers still had a job, despite his half baked leadership. Chicago Union leadership does not allow Union members to vote the amended contract. Union cowards refuse to listen to the input of their members. Labor has a ten year contact; Daley will break it, but still do everything in his power to keep the Olympics.
This is what the future of construction in Chicago looks like. The lousy construction work over the last few decades will continue to cause large expenses for homeowners. The lack of honest inspections and lack of enough inspectors will cause great pain and sorrow for homeowners. The waste and corruption from Daley and his goons have permanently crippled Chicago. Unskilled labor seems to save money in the beginning, but we will end up paying again and again.
This picture shows a group of workers that do not live in Chicago. They do not have the license or training to complete this job they started. Chicago Plumber’s Local 130 does nothing; this company is protected by Daley’s people. None of their vehicles have Chicago City Stickers or have signs indicating who they are. They are contracted to Mayor Daley’s Sewer program. They block streets, act like city workers, and in doing so, they also break laws. Mayor Daley’s engineering pals supervise these companies adding more expenses to taxpayers. No authorized Chicago personnel supervise these workers. No one from Chicago is verifying who they are and what they are doing. They do not swipe in or out. They do not live in Chicago. Some get paid to drive all the way to Lake County and back every day. Chicago Taxpayers get billions stolen and wasted year after year. I admire the Unions that stand up and demand the facts. The Unions better prove they did due diligence for this round of labor negotiations. They also better prove Daley has bankrupted Chicago before a single man or women lose their job. The many people that will lose their jobs from the city is because of the Shakman Violations. Many black and minority workers that got a chance thanks to our hard work might lose their jobs. Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama, and Jesse Jackson Sr. have been mighty quiet. Two Aldermen have been chumming up to Daley lately selling out for their own advances. That was labor money that got them in their seats. Remember when the economy was cooking and not a peep was said about city workers – what happened? Let’s have some yuppies work behind a garbage truck for a while, see how long they last. Mayor Daley has destroyed this city and the checks and balances of union labor are crumbled. Photo by Patrick McDonough/ChicagoClout
7 Replies to “Mayor Daley makes a patsy of Dennis Gannon and Chicago Unions”
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Why is all unions except for AFSCME, Teamsters and Laborers Local 1001 took the cuts.. Maybe they have comman sence. Maybe they final see the light. Pat you are simple blind to what is going on around you in Chicago, Detroit, New York, Houston. Los Angeles. Unpaid day off or pay cuts instead of lay offs. You just dont or wont get it. The City is not breaking the contract, they are using the one tool inthe contract to save money layoff or layoff threat to get concessions. It is no illegal, it is done all over except in your little world
(Response) The problem is much greater than the temporary fix. This is attempting to break the Unions, destroy the Unions, and lose labor rights. The Unions have no strength any more. Name one union that will reduce dues.
No union contract prohibits layoffs. Nor has there ever been a mayor who relinquished the power to layoff workers in the event of a financial crisis the likes of which we are currently seeing. The suggestion that Daley is attempting to break the unions is assinine. He was under no obligation to request concessions. If, as you allege, he sought to destroy organized labor, he could have initiated layoffs with no questions asked, provided that the slips went out within the appropriate 2 week or 1 month time frame. Daley gave organized labor the opportunity to collaborate with the city in order to save jobs. Mr. Gannon undoubtedly realized this fact and acted correctly in the interests of those whom he represents.
(Response) Mayor Daley needs the Chicago City Workers to keep services taxpayers except and demand. The waste and theft of money by the Daley Adminstration causes the emergency, not city workers. Billions in assets sold and Daley is still corking the side of the sinking ship “Chicago”. Dump Daley overboard.
3 city unions holding out on deal to avert layoffs
Source: Proposed deal would include 24 unpaid furlough days through June 30, 2011
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July 1, 2009
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
Three hold-out unions with 650 layoffs hanging in the balance —Teamster 726, Laborers 1001 and AFSMCE Council 31—are standing in the way of a two-year deal on cost-cutting concessions to save the jobs of 1,504 city of Chicago employees targeted for layoffs.
Mayor Daley refused today to say what he would do if the unions don’t get on board by the July 15 deadline.
» Click to enlarge image Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon (left) said a deal has been reached to avoid layoffs for another two years. He’s expected to join Mayor Daley today to make the announcement.
(Sun-Times photos)
But Daley hinted strongly that layoffs would be confined to those three union locals.
“The city must take the appropriate action on the 15th,” Daley said at a City Hall news conference. “We think, in the long run, on the 15th, all of ’em will be there. I firmly believe that. I pray for it. I hope they are…because this will not be good for their membership.”
And what happens if the train leaves the station on July 15 and the Teamsters, Laborers and AFSCME aren’t on it? Neither Daley nor the two labor powerhouses at his side — Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon and Tom Villanova, president of the Chicago and Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council — would entertain the thought.
“Well, we’re all gonna be on it. We’re gonna go from locomotive to caboose. Dennis and I and Tom—we’re gonna have everybody on that train,” Daley said.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Gannon said.
Villanova added, “I have the privilege of representing 100,000 construction workers. We have up to 30 percent unemployment in some of our locals. There’s nowhere to go for these 1,504 people if they were to get laid off. We’re gonna ruin 1,504 families.”
Sources said the two-year agreement on the table includes:
• 24 unpaid furlough days through June 30, 2011,
• Converting all city holidays — nine for hourly employees and 12 for those with monthly salaries— to unpaid days and substituting comp time for cash overtime.
In a written statement, Henry Bayer, executive director of AFSCME Council 31, said AFSCME members are “among the lowest-paid” city workers and “simply cannot afford” to take 46 furlough days and unpaid holidays over the next two years.
“For these reasons, AFSCME presented the city with an alternative proposal that would be far less burdensome to union members than a 10 percent pay cut but achieve the same savings” as layoffs, Bayer said, refusing to reveal specifics.
Lou Phillips, business manager of Laborers Local 1001, declined to comment on the talks.
Teamsters officials could not be reached.
Comp time has been a tough sell for those unions because they represent truck and snow-plow drivers sometimes called out on weekends and in the middle of the night.
“If you work in emergency situations, when are they gonna give you the comp time?” one source said.
Gannon refused to discuss specifics of the givebacks, except to say that “90 percent” of the 40 unions in the building trades coalition have agreed to the terms.
“Everybody has to suffer the same amount of pain,” Gannon said. “That’s the problem we’re trying to put our arms around….We don’t want one group to get something different than another group is getting.”
Daley has threatened to lay off 1,504 city employees, effective July 15, unless organized labor agrees to concessions to match the $76 million-a-year savings that would have been generated by layoffs.
Last year, the mayor threatened to lay off more than 1,000 city employees. He ended up cutting deals with organized labor that reduced the final number to 425.
Oh my goodness Pat, you are SSSSOOOO far out of touch with reality these days. What about your fellow union brothers that have been out of work for almost a year, who have lost thier homes, and health insurance for thier families?????? You useless city workers have been nurse-milked for way to long, you “”brothers”” need a stiff dose of reality by getting laid off by Daley. But don’t worry your unions will always take care of you and your scumbag buddies ahead of the rest of the rank and file members. Make sure it is my hands that are stepped on while you advance to the “top of the book” ahead of the rest of us.
And don’t forget…don’t be one f%c%ing second paying your union dues while your house is in foreclosure!!!!!!
P.S. Can you put in a good word for me with the scab contractors that are going to take your job???? come on, help a brother out!!!!
Are the sales of Skyway and city parking meters a payday loan for the mayor’s Olympics?
Anyone know if Gannon’s wife works for the olympic village ? and her name
How can the unions suck up to Mayor Daley when all he has done is layoff workers but they fail to endorse Todd Stroger when he fights for unions jobs and not to lay people off? Members..what are you paying dues for? Stroger takes heat for keeping you employed but you support the MAyor????
Wake up people. If O;brien gets in unions lose jobs..that simple