By Mickey Ciokajlo
Tribune staff reporter

February 27, 2007, 8:02 PM CST

An estimated 1,700 Cook County workers will lose their jobs in the 2007 budget, about 500 more than had been reported last week, according to figures released Tuesday.

The administration of board President Todd Stroger said the numbers given out during the budget debate late Thursday were estimates. The new figures reflect the reconciliation of budget documents with all the amendments approved in a meeting that did not end until 2:30 a.m. Friday.

The new numbers are not final because some figures, such as those for the public defender’s office, still must be fully reconciled, budget officials said.

Overall, the new numbers show that the 2007 county budget will have 2,193 fewer full-time positions than in 2006. About 490 of the positions were vacant, but the rest were filled and reflect job losses by county workers. The total number of jobs for 2007 will be 23,383.

By far, the most job losses will be in the Bureau of Health, where 1,155 positions were eliminated. The figures released Tuesday did not break those jobs down by title, such as doctors, nurses and administrative assistants.

The Bureau of Administration, which runs departments such as highways, planning and zoning, will have 221 fewer positions.

In total, 1,489 of the positions cut are jobs that fall under Stroger’s control. The remaining 704 positions fall under the control of other elected officials, such as the sheriff, state’s attorney and Circuit Court clerk.

Chief Judge Timothy Evans loses 230 positions, the most among the offices outside Stroger’s control.

Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown had the second-most positions cut, with 134, followed by Sheriff Tom Dart with 129 and State’s Atty. Richard Devine with 102.

Stroger won passage of his $3 billion budget after winning the support of three Republicans and North Side Democrat Mike Quigley. The budget closed a projected deficit of $500 million without raising taxes.

Though the cuts were deep, including the closing of a dozen health clinics, Stroger originally planned to lay off far more sheriff’s police, courtroom deputies and probation officers than ultimately were let go.

Rival commissioners said Stroger’s plan leaned too heavily on frontline workers while sparing high-level employees with political connections.

mciokajlo@tribune.com
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

I also noticed that the newspapers reported on the County Board holding what appeared to be sham “executive session” meetings to evade the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. In addition, the County budget has long been notorious for its lack of transparency. Under these circumstances, it is unrealistic to expect a Union which was shut out of the process to instantaneously have a definite answer.

That said, our union has had a long-standing problem with communication. This website alone is a major advance towards keeping everyone informed.

And, I agree with Winona that some of our efforts now should shift to helping those targeted for layoff with their search for other jobs.

How about a group hug? I really do not think that Doris or any of the assistants who are asking for more info are attacking the union representatives. They are simply looking for a forum, an ear and some support. We are fortuante that we are unionized and that the union and others interested in the fundamental rights of our clients stood up and spoke out.It is clear that without the leadership of the union we would not be in the position we are now. That said, I am concerned that Doris and other young attorneys be allowed to voice their fears and concerns without recrimination.

We are not the only ones interested in this issue, the whole nation is watching and our struggle will be an example for all who come this way thereafter. How we stand together in the midst of this struggle is also instructive. Will we allow the powers to be to pit us against each other? I would like to volunteer to establish some sort of support group to provide financial support and or counseling and job placement to any Cook County Public Defender employee layed off. Anyone else?

How about a group hug? I really do not think that Doris or any of the assistants who are asking for more info are attacking the union representatives. They are simply looking for a forum, an ear and some support. We are fortuante that we are unionized and that the union and others interested in the fundamental rights of our clients stood up and spoke out.

It is clear that without the leadership of the union we would not be in the position we are now. That said, I am concerned that Doris and other young attorneys be allowed to voice their fears and concerns without recrimination.

We are not the only ones interested in this issue, the whole nation is watching and our struggle will be an example for all who come this way thereafter. How we stand together in the midst of this struggle is also instructive. Will we allow the powers to be to pit us against each other?

I would like to volunteer to establish some sort of support group to provide financial support and or counseling and job placement to any Cook County Public Defender employee layed off. Anyone else?

Later, in a teleconference with Chiefs, he used a differrent number.

What does about 10 mean to you? If you are number 11 should you worry? What about resignations of other assistants within the last two weeks? What if you are number 10 and the number goes down to 8 or 7? What if number 9 quit (or made some other life changing decision) because number 9 thought he or she was gonna be layed off but Ed fired a supervisor to keep more frontline employees and number 9 and 8 still had jobs?

As we said before, when we know with ACCURACY, we will tell you.

What is unacceptable is the County Budget process, not the fact that this local doesn’t recklessly throw around layoff numbers to its members and throw their lives into either a tailspin or a false sense of security.

Read upwards, I like Hawaii and all but I never said anything about it.

Tom: Bless you for the work your doing. But I like others are simply afraid of losing our jobs. When we hear that no ones knows a number and that we have to suffer the weekend not knowing a number and somehow work through Monday wondering, its hard. And no, you didn’t see me there that night. But I did go to the meetings where I couldn’t get in the room and I shouted and chanted. I did get involved. Since I didn’t go to that particular budget meeting am I not entitled to ask for a little more information?
Is the battle over how many superviors should be let go? Or how many staff vs lawyers? No one said not to go by the paper. Our site first learned about the furlough days and such from the paper. That’s my point exactly when you have little to go on you look for what you can find. Sorry, but I guess that’s what scared people do.

P.S. You are working for the wrong office if you believe what you read in the paper!