Public Safety Workers Negotiations Turn Tense Prior to Chicago NATO Summit

Thursday April 26, 2012- Last week, Office of Emergency Management 911 Center (OEMC) negotiations continued with the focus mainly on wages. Let’s remember - it’s been over two years since members received a contractual raise of any kind. That being said, City of Chicago negotiators flatly rejected our union’s offer of a 3.25% wage increase retroactive to January 2012. Instead, they countered with an insulting offer of a one-time four hundred ($400.00) payment. That’s it – nothing in the wages. Our proposal is fair and in line with 2011 3.50% increase and 2012 increase of 3.25% already agreed to with other unions who negotiated with the City of Chicago. We told the City negotiators that their counter is completely unacceptable.

Our Union has stepped up to the plate in our efforts with the current and previous administrations to address the City’s so-called budget crisis. IBEW Local 21 members previously surrendered two years of back pay in 2009 contract negotiations, then lost overtime and holiday payments imposed by the City’s unilateral implementation of the “COUPE” agreement.  In this round of negotiations to further their willingness to work with City Bosses the bargaining committee would accept a 2012 wage increase of 3.25% and forfeit the 2011 wage increases other City workers received.  Unfortunately the current offer by City negotiators fails to acknowledge the previous cuts and current concessions being made by our members.  

It is time for the City to respect those workers who are the first line of defense when it comes to public safety.  Enough is enough.  We must make a stand!  

Stay tuned for more information.  Please contact your local steward, Area Steward Michele Driver, or IBEW Local Union 21 Business Representative Jerry Rankins and provide them with your email address and cell phone number to get more updates.  Jerry can be reached at 630-222-9100. You can also sign up now for updates on our website ibew21.org.  Sign up now by clicking here.  You can also send the text IBEW21 to 69866 to receive text alerts.

We also encourage you to visit the new City of Chicago 911 OEMC Center member page on our website. It appears in the Where We Work section under the Member Resources tab located on the top of our homepage.