Last February, Cook County and its labor unions reached an agreement where workers would take ten days off without pay in an effort to save the county money. The Cook County furloughs were to be in lieu of layoffs.
However, as we approach the end of the year, it's been reported that over half the county workers continued working, never taking the mandatory ten days off without pay, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.
Under the agreement, most of the 23,700 Cook County workers were required to take the furlough days. Furlough just means required time off work without pay. However, some employees deemed to be "essential" to the running of the government were exempted and did not have to take the unpaid time off, reports the Sun-Times.
Apparently, Cook County has about 12,000 essential workers as half the workers did not take the time off. Naturally, this has created an uproar with some officials.
County Commissioner Liz Gorman said that she doesn't believe that half the workforce is essential as she herself took the furlough days, reports the Sun-Times. And now she wants the managers of those employees exempted from the furloughs to answer.
In the coming weeks, elected officials and other supervisors will have to testify before county commissioners as to which staff did -- and didn't -- take Cook County furlough days. While some employees like police officers and nurses are likely considered essential, most others probably won't stand the scrutiny.
If the county does not save money with the furloughs, county employees may have sealed their own fate with potential layoffs.
Related Resources:
- Find a Chicago Employment Attorney (FindLaw)
- 2 Cook Co. commissioners refusing to take furloughs (ABC)
- Unions Basics (FindLaw)
- Rahm Emanuel Ultimatum to Unions: Layoffs or Work Reforms (FindLaw's Chicago Employment Law Blog)
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