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Posted: Friday, 23 October 2009 9:38AM
Laid-off cops, crossing guards picket council hearing
Bob Roberts Reporting
WBBM Newsradio 780
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CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Laid-off Calumet City police officers and crossing guards picketed Thursday night's city council hearing, claiming the city did not do all it could to avert layoffs.
Calumet City officials have said repeatedly that their hand was forced because state and local taxes failed to bring in what they anticipated.
Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush's office announced the layoffs Oct. 15. Calumet City laid off seven sworn police officers, 48 crossing guards and eight detention aides, as well as four public works inspectors.
The firefighters' union agreed to a series of concessions, including the decision not to fill six vacant jobs.
Each side accuses the other of refusing to be flexible.
Qualkinbush said when announcing the layoffs that she was disappointed, and said she had hoped that all of the suburb's unions would have agreed to concessions.
Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) lodge president, and Calumet City Police Detective, Mitch Growe, claims the union offered a variety of cost-saving concessions but was told their choice was furlough days or layoffs.
He said the picketing was done to reinforce the message that the union is willing to negotiate.
"We've been attempting to do that for the past three months," Growe said. "The city just really doesn't want to negotiate with us."
Growe says the cuts are deep, because the department was already "short-staffed" by five officers.
"That's probably about a 15 percent reduction in our workforce," he said.
Growe said FOP remains willing to forego overtime, the ability to purchase additional sick leave and make a number of other concessions to save money and get the officers reinstated. He also claims the Qualkinbush administration has not done all it can to trim waste in city government elsewhere.
WBBM is attempting to reach Mayor Qualkinbush for a response.
FOP is not the only disgruntled union representing Calumet City employees. The American Federation of Professionals, which represents the public works inspectors, filed a grievance with the state last week, saying it also was not allowed to offer alternatives.
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