Things aren't looking to peachy for [-]King Richard II[/-] Rich Daley's kingdom either. Not a good thing for a city looking to snag the 2016 Olympics.
City of Chicago layoffs
Mayor Daley may lay off 1,000 city workers to solve Chicago's budget crisis.
Mayor Daley froze the pay of non-union workers and ordered them to take unpaid days off to help balance the budget.
So far union leaders have not agreed to do the same. The source said civilian police and fire department workers will be among those laid off.
A mayoral adviser tells the Sun-Times the number of layoffs could go as high as 2,000 to cut a deficit that may reach $450 million dollars. The city's deficit for 2008 is currently $141 million, and is expected to rise to nearly $300 million next year because the economy is not expected to improve.
The reported layoffs are to counter the $141 million budget deficit. The layoff talks come despite Mayor Daley's reported plans to give raises to 50 politically appointed Streets and Sanitation ward superintendents.
I like that last paragraph......"
layoff talks come despite Mayor Daley's reported plans to give raises to 50 politically appointed [-]Butt-Kissers & Campaign Donors[/-] Streets and Sanitation ward superintendents"
And the Chicago Tribune is slashing jobs too.
Among those leaving the Chicago Tribune in buyouts/layoffs announced Friday (8-8-08 ) are three top editors, among the first exits related to cost-trimming at the Tribune Company's flagship. The three editors requested and received buyouts.
Tribune is cutting costs to offset declines in advertising and circulation revenue that have sharpened this year for most newspapers.
The Tribune said last month it expected to eliminate about 80 newsroom positions in this round of cuts, the paper's fourth in three years, "and an undetermined number of involuntary departures remain".
Rick Kogan, who has a very interesting talk show on WGN radio, said this morning that the Trib has just announced yet
another round of layoffs.
It's kind of understandable that a newspaper would be axing employees, since people can read almost every newspaper online, and they don't have to buy the print version anymore. Heck, even here in our dinky little town, the daily newspaper is viewable 'online' in it's entirety.....even the classifieds and obits.
Looks like the [-]shaky[/-] shaking economy is hitting just about every type of job......well, except maybe politically connected appointees in the Windy City. And amazingly, things out here in the boonies.....about an hours drive from the Windy.....aren't too bad. In fact, many businesses are expanding, and new businesses are locating here. And while the pay may not be the greatest at all the places, it certainly beats that of the WalMart Greeter or burger-flipper at the Arches. Unskilled labor is starting at around $12-13/hour, and goes up to whatever the going rate is for skilled labor and 'professional' type positions....and most if not all are offing decent benefit packages as well. And our local municipality has hired more people in the last 18 months, than they hired in the previous 20-25 years total! Starting pay is about $15.50/hour plus full benefits including a
very nice...and stable...DB cola'd pension (I know 'cause I'm collecting it).....the top-scale non-management pay is currently about $25/hour. About 8 or 9 years ago the city's finances were in bad shape and layoffs were on the table, but the local economy picked up and they were able to fully recover....plus they learned how to live within their means and tighten their belts.
