Does Rahm Get It? Emanuel Lays Off 625+ Public Workers In an Effort to Close Budget Gap
- Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:05pm by
Becket Adams
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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sent pink slips to up to 625 city employees last week and he plans to privatize many of those jobs in order to close Illinois’ $30 million budget gap, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Nearly 130 seasonal transportation workers will be told to leave immediately.
According to the Tribune, “Emanuel said he intends to get private companies to clean the city’s airports and libraries, work now done by city employees. Operators at the city’s water-bill call center and employee benefit managers also will see their jobs outsourced. Those union workers will receive 30- and 45-day layoff notices.”
Emanuel followed through on his threat to lay employees off because, he said, the unions had failed to offer concessions or cost-cutting measures that would help close a budget hole created by an earlier deal with City Hall for unions to take unpaid days off.
Could it be that Rahm Emanuel is cleaning house? Is he really removing public sector jobs and privatizing them?
The Tribune quotes Emanuel as saying, “It has been two weeks and despite ongoing talks between leaders of organized labor and my administration, none of the changes yet have been embraced or agreed upon.”
“My duty as mayor is to protect our city’s taxpayers … not to protect the city’s payroll.”
Union leaders said Emanuel never set a hard deadline for them to present their money-saving ideas and, according to the Tribune, “did not make serious attempts to negotiate.”
But should this come as a surprise? If anyone knows about the stubborn obtuseness of union leaders, and their propensity to not concede on monetary issues, Emanuel would. Perhaps the mayor figured that a preemptive strike would be far more effective than spending hours sitting around a table.
“Mayor Emanuel’s decision to lay off these workers and privatize services without really engaging in the process is both perplexing and disappointing to all of us,” said Jorge Ramirez, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, in the Tribune article.
“When there’s a fire, you don’t pour gasoline on it. You pour water on it.”
Henry Bayer, the executive director of the American Federation of State, referred to Emanuel’s approach as “scattershot.”
“If the mayor were serious about attempting to change any work rule, he would have taken the appropriate measures to engage in such discussions,” Bayer said in a statement.
“The fact that he has never done so is clear evidence that his attempt to blame union work rules for the city’s massive deficit is mere public relations gimmickry,” said the Tribune article.
With Emanuel reigning in the unions, Chicago will no longer be responsible for custodial services at libraries or airports. Additionally, according to the Tribune, “managing benefits and staffing the water billing call center will no longer be the city’s responsibility. 75 percent of the seasonal work force at the Department of Transportation will be dismissed as well.”
Labor leaders are still expected to sit down with Emanuel’s administration later this week. Those talks will likely be geared toward cost-savings in the 2012 budget, which is expected to be short $650 million or more.
Therefore, Emanuel has proposed additional solutions:
1) Salaried employees receive the same number of sick days and holidays as hourly employees
2) Workers doing the same job would get the same pay, no matter which union they belong to
3) The city would eliminate rate differences for driving different vehicles and operating different equipment.
“Emanuel inherited the $30 million budget shortfall from former Mayor Richard Daley, who balanced his final budget by including savings the city would have seen if unpaid days off continued through the end of the year. But Daley did not negotiate an extension of the furlough program with the unions before handing the reins to Emanuel,” reports the Tribune.
Emanuel rejected unpaid days off as a solution, saying they hurt employee morale and fail to deliver the anticipated savings.
Adding more pressure to the unions, Emanuel announced last week that he had salvaged $20 million of the $30 million in savings by not filling up to 200 vacant jobs and by turning a city-run community health clinic system into a partnership with a federal health care program.
Turning over city-run programs to the feds? Uh-oh.
“The layoffs will save an estimated $10 million to $12 million for the rest of the year,” Emanuel said in a report from the Chicago Tribune.
Labor leaders are still prepared to negotiate in good faith and share Emanuel’s sense of urgency, Ramirez said. The layoff move, however, “complicates things.”
Emanuel also said he remains open to partnering with labor and will continue to look for “better, smarter, more efficient and cost effective” ways to deliver city services.
There are two possible conclusions to this story. Either Rahm Emanuel, like the rest of America, has realized that in order to control state budgets, the unions must be brought under control.
The second possibility is that Emanuel, in his typical strong-armed way, has decided that the unions need to be reminded of who’s really in charge. Laying off 625+ union workers seems like an awfully good way of driving this point home.
Which conclusion seems most likely?
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Comments (146)
obstin8
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:47pmNow he is in charge and has to answer the questions. It aint so easy not standing behind the big ear bho. Lots of shade from those puppies. Maybe the jail time of his buddy the Gov woke him up. Maybe he is a conservative in sheeps clothing.
Report Post »A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 4:14pmMaybe all the unConstitutional Unionized public workers should boycott this assault on “workers’ rights” by leaving the country- STATE … I mean state – until Rahm is willing to violate his oath of office again by allowing Unions a special place in the legislative process.
Report Post »Sound The Trumpet In Zion
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 4:52pmYou are right, obstin8
Report Post »I just wonder if obama had to do something for real and had to do something like this if he would start thinking like Rahm is doing here. I doubt it but it is a thought. I figure though that if he was ever a mayor or governor or something like that, the only thing he would do well is like in the presidency. The only thing he is doing well there is being the worst one in the history of our country.
UlyssesP
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 4:54pm@walkwithme1966
Report Post »Like Gov. Walker did his.
Ruler4You
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 5:23pmIMHBLO, this is a small drop in the bucket. All this clown is trying to do is to get folks riled up over more job losses.
And obama says he will think about ‘cutting the domestic budget.’ Which again is H.S. The domestic budget is only part of the problem. What about the “foreign aid”? and other international funding for stuff that doesn’t directly benefit Americans? This is just one more way to hurt Americans antagonistically in retaliation for demanding spending cuts, balancing the budget and capping the budget.
Report Post »Lucy Larue
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 6:04pmOBSTIN8,
No…..,that’s not it. Emmanuel presided over the worst thing to happen to this great nation EVER!
It was the swearing in of Barrack Hussein Obama as President of the United States of America.
Emmanuel ABETTED “Obamacare”.
PUHLEEZE don’t try to make it that Emmanuel has found “RELIGION”. No…,Filthy Lucre is Rahm’s God. UGH!
Report Post »chazman
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 6:40pmChicago politics. Let’s not forget that, people. This creep is dangerous.
Report Post »rockstone
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 6:58pmAnd maybe the people who got canned are the last republicans still employed by the City of Chicago.
I don’t think the union would squeal about that.
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 8:35pmDon’t forget that he promised all their union dues to be refunded. This is really a test to see what obama is gonna do to reduce the defecit – fire union government workers.
Report Post »melmatmic
Posted on July 19, 2011 at 7:44amI never liked Rahm, but I listen to WLS-Chicago all the time and it sounds like he is doing what needs to be done to make the city work again. Now if Illinois and all of the other state and federal governments would follow suit.
Report Post »Your Name Here
Posted on July 19, 2011 at 8:37amHe is no conservative anything,
Report Post »Want to bet he will be ‘pushed’ to run for President to ‘save’ the economy?
This is a stunt.
I agree that he is probably teaching the unions that he is the new sheriff in town.
AsilisArt
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:47pmThis gives me great pause…
“turning a city-run community health clinic system into a partnership with a federal health care program.”
This isn’t Rahm being reasonable, this is Rahm cracking the whip. Those who bought into the Obama lie will be the first ones they shut down. Afterall, they‘ve all been promised things in exchange for their support and will be enraged when they find out they’ve been used.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 8:50pmAgree! You are looking at a power struggle. This has nothing to do with money
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on July 20, 2011 at 7:09amNice how one article can straighten a person’s halo? Nope he is evil incarnate with this latest round of layoffs I wonder how many more “flash robs” will occur? Most likely the only 625 whites left on the payrolls were let go……I see no cry of racism in this story so maybe I just stumbled upon an unknown?
Report Post »mikenleeds
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:47pmGOOD MOVE Emanuel .cuts all of the government workers,,, when i go into the dmv and see 20 standing around eating donuts and getting fatter and only 3 people actually working and the line out the door ****** me off .. if these lazy government workers was working for a private company they all would be fired …
Report Post »Jim in Houston
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 5:28pmNot just at the DMV, but almost any government office, especially the post office.
Report Post »DrFrost
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:44pm“When there’s a fire, you don’t pour gasoline on it. You pour water on it.”
To which I reply:
When there’s a recession you downsize. They can try to paint Rahm as an evil vindictive mayor over this but it’s not going to stick. Not on this issue anyway.
Report Post »cmabillm12
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:59pmHe is still part of the problem!!
Report Post »Curiousgrandpa
Posted on July 20, 2011 at 2:43pm“When there’s a fire, you don’t pour gasoline on it. You pour water on it.”
To which I reply:
When there’s a recession you downsize. They can try to paint Rahm as an evil vindictive mayor over this but it’s not going to stick. Not on this issue anyway.
I fully agree DR Rahm is a politician first, they will not make this one stick. He is starting a new dynasty in Chicago.
Report Post »USACommoner
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:43pmWasn’t he the one who said never to let a crisis go to waste…? I would not trust this man for one minute…wait and see…
Report Post »Mil-Dot
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 4:52pmYeah, don’t be too quick to trust Emanuel. He is a snake.
Report Post »jackbauer
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 5:24pmYeah, ole dead fish Rahm is a snake. What’s that invasive fish species they have up in that part of the world? Snake-head fish or some such. Maybe that’s what he is?
Report Post »TEIN
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:43pmFire from one Union, hire from another..Playing the game of who are my biggest buddies..
Report Post »BruceB
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:38pmWhat? No talk of teachers/firemen/policeman layoffs?What kind of Democrat is he?
Report Post »Johnnybravo
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:37pmLMFAO,government workers laid off.
Report Post »tbconrad
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:36pmSo this is what I predict will happen, The people who were laid off will form a new private sector company. they will then unionize. They will contract back to the city for the job they were doing before and charge them twice as much as they were when they were public sector unions.
Report Post »NotFooled
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:35pmLMAO!!!! Nice. well said.
Report Post »Rogue
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:32pmI started to wonder about Rahm, till I got about halfway through the article, where we learn he saved 2/3rds of his budget gap by taking a city run health clinic and getting the Feds to pay for it. There’s the old Rahm we knew! Instead of using his own voter’s taxes to pay for the clinic, all of us taxpayers across the nation get to pay for Chicago’s $20mil/yr health program.
Thanks Chicago. Not only did you screw yourselves by voting this clown into office, now your chosen leader is going to screw the rest of the country.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:29pmI hope progressives see this and understand they’re simply pawns in a losing game. You‘ll get left at the alter whenever it’s politically expedient to do so.
Again, how people can put their faith in such a bankrupt ideology is mind-boggling.
Whoever let the things get to this point should be behind bars, or put to sleep. Half the country knows what’s going on, but half of those don‘t really understand the trouble we’re in. The other half are complete morons would thrive on living from hand to mouth.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:28pmNow ol’ Rahm has to face reality. Too bad he can’t get his old boss to do that!
Report Post »NotFooled
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:28pmGovernment should never bow down to Unions. Unions have no place in Government. I love it when Libs eat each other. Lol No honor among thieves.
Report Post »NJTMATO
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 4:09pmNotfooled, very good! HAHAHA….do you think that they are surprised? I was surprised initially. The headline “Does Rahm Get it?” led me astray but after reading the article..I get that he’s just another “king” in a kingpin game and the libs “eating each other” as you stated, very special, indeed!
Report Post »Ookspay
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:28pmHuh, whadda ya know? It’s alot easier to be a Presidential advisor and just float bad ideas at any cost… But actually managing is a whole lot different!
I guarantee if Chicago could just raise it’s debt ceiling and print/borrow more money, Rahm would much prefer that!
Report Post »paulusmaximus
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:28pmRahm used the unions to get elected then blames them for the problems sound pretty straight forward Socialist to me.
Report Post »B_rad
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:47pmNational Socialist to be exact. That is precisely what the Nazi party did. Used the unions, rallied the unions, once they had the power they banned the unions. Gotta love the BIG left. They’re all the same.
Report Post »Auntie Tea
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 5:22pmSounds about right (I mean left) to me :)
Report Post »IAMMADDOG
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:27pmWOW!! Does this mean the liberal circus is going to pack up here in Wisconsin and take its show to the Chicago capital? After all Scott Walker was “EVIL” for doing the same thing right? At least if was done Walkers way people would still have their jobs.
Report Post »Mr. Nutt
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:43pmNo protests of any kind because he is a democrat. The democrat governor here has taken away some union rights too and still no protests. The union leaders keep telling us to vote democrat because republicans will destroy us but we don’t believe them anymore. More and more of the members are waking up to the B.S.
Report Post »walker1812
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:21pmRahm obviously has hired some Tea Party members to help run Chicago…..not
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:18pmApparently he didn’t get the memo from Barry that public workers are a protected class.
Report Post »cntrlfrk
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:10pmPublic union jobs to private sector unions.
A better move than keeping them.
Walker should have done this.
.
Report Post »knockered
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:22pmI hope obummer doesn‘t find out or he’ll never get back into the WH. Good for him maybe he has seen the light..
Report Post »Marci
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:10pmThis is hilarious. Who would have thought Rahm would do something sensible? Could it be that Rahm is planning a run in the future? Of course, it IS Rahm, there is always an agenda. I still have NO idea how he managed to get mayor of Chicago after his hair brained antics in the white house and background. But then again, in Chicago, all you do is get rid of your opponents and win. But all that aside—I am shocked he did this and amazed. However he got to that point doesn’t really mattter—as long as he got to that point.
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:17pmDoesn’t the picture on this article make him look like one of the adults from the Obama administration!
Report Post »Bet he sure caught his union buddies off guard on this one..unless this is only part of a bigger plan!!
varptr
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 9:17pm……though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Report Post »It could be competence, wouldn’t that be nice? But it is more likely the master petting the chicken before serving her for Sunday dinner. Yum.
HairRazor
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:09pmIt seems he’s seen the light.. Take note Obama.
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:09pmMaybe the people he laid off were Jewish/Christian/Conservatives. That would make more sense…
Report Post »JRook
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:09pmInteresting to note he was able to union employees and reduce related labor costs without the ideological driven notions of denying their freedom to assemble and right to collective bargain. Or is the other stuff not really about the money.
Report Post »Marci
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:15pmJRook–get a grip. You would ONLY agree with it when a Democrat does it, and have proven so with your silly statement. Walker didn’t prevent them from assembling, he cut off their ability to automatically give themselves raises without opposition. Is it really fair that they do this with the taxpayer money and the taxpayer has NO seat at the table? If you support that kind of looting, so be it, but people like me will call you out on it every time. What you have essentially said is you are okay with just permanently cutting the jobs and handing to the private sector as long as it is a sleazy liberal. Given what Rahm did–they have no ability to assemble now, because their job is GONE. I mean wow. Do you think before you talk?
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:20pmOh the brain damage, right to collusion, racketeering and extortion are not rights granted by the constitution.
Report Post »cntrlfrk
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:25pmThe difference was Walker was trying to save their jobs AND reduce costs.
Rahm just eliminated their jobs completely.
Actually, this is a miniature scale of what is going on all over the country, and part of the ‘controlled’ decline of America.
You can bet these new jobs will either be fewer, or less pay and benefits or both.
Furthermore, I would bet money that Rahm conveniently has business buddies set up to fill the void.
This is how Chicago works. The employees lose, Rahm and his buddies make a ton of cash, and he buys a bunch of new supporters.
.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:44pm@Marci save your superficial labeling and rants for your friends who either pretend to agree with you or don’t know any better. Your statements regarding what Walker did, and it is interesting your reference him, are completely false as collective bargaining for wages, benefits and working conditions is inherently consistent with a balance between employers and workers. In a prior life I was an executive in a hospital that was unionized and it posed no constraints to an organization that holds its employees in high value. Similar bills across the 12 states with new Republican governors are all directed at attacking unions in both principle and practice. Beyond the obvious fear of their collective political strength, it is a continued assault on wages, benefits and working conditions. If you believe that unions are to blame for the economic decline in this country or the fact that real wages have gone down since 1980, then I say to you “I can tell by your observations, statements and rhetoric that you don‘t even understand what you don’t understand. The point is the budget is about $$, unions understand good times and bad times as reflected in the concessions provided that balanced the budget in MN. The budget however was used as a guise to push through an ideological position against unions. The manner in which it was done in MN was cowardly and we will see what the people say in the recall elections.
Report Post »shirtsbyeric
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:44pmThey can move to China and assemble ipods for 30 cents an hour.
Report Post »let us prey
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 4:18pm@Marci
Report Post »Good job.
Therightsofbilly
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 5:13pm@MARCI………I agree with Let Us Prey…..good post.
@JROOK
Your reply to MARCI seems to have one great big omission.
Report Post »Can you tell us what that might be?
Either you are ignorant, or just a typical truth spinning progressive prevaricator.
jacobstroubles
Posted on July 18, 2011 at 3:08pmWho cares…he’s a liar/he’s part of the big lie
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