SEIU endorses Toni Preckwinkle For Cook County Board President
Toni Preckwinkle and SEIU Local 73 President Christine Boardman speak in Chicago on January 12.
(January 22, 2010)
The SEIU Illinois Council is proud to endorse Toni Preckwinkle for President of the Cook County Board.
During her years in the Chicago City Council, Preckwinkle earned a record of distinguished public service by challenging the political establishment and standing up for working families.
"We need a county board president with some backbone on the side of working families," said SEIU Local 73 President Christine Boardman. "It is our strong belief that Toni Preckwinkle is that person."
Toni Preckwinkle for Cook County Board President Web site
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Partial sales tax rollback passes, threatening public health system jobs, services
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger speaks with reporters after the sales tax rollback vote.
(November 17)
Cook County Commissioners voted 12-5 to roll back half of the one penny sales tax increase passed last year.
County Board President Todd Stroger says the move will decimate the public health system that serves the poor and uninsured.
“This has really become a battle of the haves and the have nots," Stroger said. "Those who have districts that are economically depressed will suffer with this rollback."
A recent change in state law means commissioners could override a potential Stroger veto of the measure with just 11 votes.
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Local 73, Stroger step up fight to save jobs, services in county hospitals system
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger joined nurses, doctors, patients, community members, elected officials and representatives of SEIU Local 73 and other unions at a news conference Monday in front of Stroger Hospital to oppose mass layoffs of frontline workers and the elimination of inpatient services at two of Cook County's three hospitals.
"This latest round of cuts in frontline workers is a thinly veiled attempt at privatizing a vital public service and busting unions simply because management thinks it can get away with it," Stroger said.
What can we do to stop these draconian cuts? WE CAN FIGHT! Support your union brothers and sisters, your neighbors and your communities by signing a petition against the cutbacks. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!
Click here to sign an electronic petition to stop the cuts
Click below to download a Word document version of the petition.
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'Don't shut us out' of plans,
Local 73 tells hospital board
(SEIU Local 73 photo / Jonathan Labe)
September 14, 2009
SEIU Local 73 is demanding a dialogue with the Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board amid word the system is planning as many as 500 layoffs.
"My request to you is simple and straightforward," Local 73 President Christine Boardman told the panel during a budget hearing on Monday. "We ask you to include us in direct and straightforward discussions on the reductions that are being proposed prior to a final decision being made."
» Read the complete statement
COUNTY WAGE PROPOSAL ‘GROSSLY INADEQUATE’
(August 27, 2009)
After months of contract negotiations between your bargaining team and Cook County representatives, the gap between us and them on money, wages and other critical issues is as wide as the Grand Canyon. Our most recent proposal calls for the following increases in pay rates for all classifications: --- December 1, 2008 — 6.5%
--- December 1, 2009 — 6.5%
--- December 1, 2010 — 6.5% Our proposal would give you greater pay equity with your counterparts in the private sector.
That’s a far cry from the county’s most recent proposal: --- June 1, 2009 — freeze all steps
--- June 1, 2010 — 1% increase
--- June 1, 2011 — 1.75% increase
--- June 1, 2012 — 2.25% increase Once again, management is offering less to us than it is giving itself.
Local 73 has learned that every non-union employee of Cook County will be awarded a 2% longevity increase on his or her anniversary date. On top of that, the non-union workers will get whatever cost-of-living adjustment the Cook County Board of Commissioners approves.
“From our point of view, what they’re giving themselves is our floor and not our
ceiling,” said SEIU Local 73 President Christine Boardman. “Their proposal to us is grossly inadequate.”
The county also wants to cut us out of six months of raises and that is unacceptable. We want our raises to kick in on December 1, which is consistent with the start of the county’s fiscal year.
There are also serious differences between Local 73 and the county over the length of the
contract, seniority, subcontracting and proper notification of new work rules.
All of these issues will be addressed at the next universal bargaining session
scheduled for Tuesday September 22 at 9 a.m. at SEIU Local 73 headquarters at Teamster City.
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ONE UNION, ONE VOICE
Cook County Health and Hospitals System union workers vote overwhelmingly to rejoin SEIU Local 73
July 01, 2009
Union workers in the Cook County public health care system have voted to ratify an agreement to affiliate with SEIU Local 73.
The decisive 707-11 vote reunifies all public sector Cook County employees back into Local 73, providing for better bargaining strength and leverage with management.
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Click here to read the Cook County Annual Report 2008.
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