Mike Quigley, Cook County Commissioner, 10th District

Unions: Stroger betraying us: Say layoffs won't bail out county, suggest tax hike

Chicago Sun-Times

December 26, 2006

By Steve Patterson

Organized labor helped get Todd Stroger elected president of the Cook County Board, but now union leaders say they feel betrayed by Stroger's proposal to lay off thousands of their members to balance the county budget.

"There hasn't been a more loyal group to President Stroger than the labor community," said Dennis Gannon of the Chicago Federation of Labor. "I'm very concerned about this budget being balanced on the backs of hard-working men and women."

In a challenge to Stroger, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees -- the biggest union of county workers -- met with him last week and argued that cuts alone aren't enough. The union proposed that the county raise taxes -- something Stroger has said he won't do.

"We don't see any way this budget can be balanced, while preserving health care, public safety and our court system, without new revenues," said AFSCME Local 31 spokesman Anders Lindall. "This is a growing county, with growing demand for services, and natural revenue growth has to match that."

But Stroger is sticking to his pledge not to raise taxes. In the meeting with AFSCME officials, Stroger didn't budge from his stance that enough cuts can be made to meet a $500 million projected county budget deficit.

"There's no blinking on that point," Stroger spokesman Bill Figel said.

Stroger is demanding that other elected county officials cut 17 percent from their budgets -- a demand so far being ignored. Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine and other elected county office-holders argue that such cuts would devastate their offices. Devine also said the cuts Stroger wants would lead to more crime.

But Stroger's firm stand against the union's demands surprised union leaders, especially in light of the support they gave Stroger. AFSCME and its membership, including workers in health care, clerical posts and public safety, pumped $35,000 into Stroger's campaign fund, while the Service Employees International Union and its membership, including health care employees and social workers, gave him more than $50,000.

'WILLY-NILLY PROPOSE 17%'

Stroger argues that cuts need to be made throughout county government, in answer to criticism that it's become a patronage wasteland, loaded with unnecessary jobs.

But before lower-paid workers get pink slips, there are plenty of higher-paid management jobs that should be scrutinized, said James Muhammad, spokesman for the SEIU's Local 20.

"The higher up you go, the deeper the fat is," Muhammad said. "The patronage jobs, the consultants, the hangers-on -- those need to be looked at first."

Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley said he agrees, but said even if that were done, there isn't support on the county board to raise property taxes.

Lindall said Stroger's proposal for across-the-board 17 percent budget cuts aren't the answer, either.

"This government has been heading in one direction for years and needs change," Lindall said. "To willy-nilly propose 17 percent, applying that regardless of need or services, isn't a thoughtful way of doing that."

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