But even before terrorists changed the lives of most Americans, the county was preparing to balance its shrinking budget on the backs of its workers. County Board President John Stroger released a report this summer from his County Operations Review Team that had numerous cost saving ideas.
Most of the ideas from this "CORT report" that offered significant cost reductions were proposals to take money out of county workers' pockets. These included (with estimated savings in parentheses):
- Requiring employees to remain in each step for two years prior to receiving an anniversary step increase ($7 million to $8 million)
- Increasing employee contributions for health care coverage ($4.5 million)
- Changing from a step plan to a merit- based plan ($11 million)
- Changing from annual cost-of-living increases to lump-sum payments at end of year
- Shifting criminal appeals from the county Public Defender's Office to the state ($5 million)
- Contracting out county jobs ($3 million to $5 million)
- Cutting staff for Juvenile Justice, the Sheriff's Department and Cook County Bureau of Health ($8 million to $13 million)
"I've heard employers say they wanted a merit pay plan because it would improve work performance," said Mike Newman, Council 31 associate director, who is the union's lead negotiator. "And I always accuse them of just wanting to save money. But I've never had an employer admit outright that they wanted to put in merit pay as a cost-saving measure. It's like saying county workers don't really deserve their wage increases."
The union's negotiating committee has adopted the slogan "Not on Our Backs." And they are determined to fight for a fair contract that doesn't single out county workers for sacrifice.
"I think everybody in my local is aware that this is going to be the toughest negotiations we've faced," said Local 3486 President Jim Dunaway. "We don't expect the money to be rolling in. But we don't want a package that puts us behind where we were when we started."
The locals have been preparing for a fight by activating a worksite communications network that they used in the last contract campaign. That network allowed the union to put escalating pressure on the county to reach a fair settlement by staging major job actions.
"We're making sure everyone knows what the county is thinking up front from that CORT report," said Local 3696 President Monique Hodges. "They want us to pay for insurance and they think the last raises were too much."
The local leaders acknowledge that the new situation won't make things any easier.
"It's all changed," said Herdastine Williams, president of Local 1111. "It all has to be looked at differently. The battle will be harder. Public support will be harder to mobilize. But we still have to fight for our families. It's a time to organize. We are keeping up our network and taking time to communicate with our members."
Williams argues that the county should rethink cuts at Cook County Hospital, where many of her local's members work. "With people losing their jobs, more people will be using public hospitals and clinics."
Right now union bargaining team members feel the county isn't really focused on the negotiations.
"It doesn't look like it's a priority for them," Dunaway said. "We're going to have to make it a priority by what we do."
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Cook County Employees
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