The Executive Board of Local 3486 wishes you a very happy and fulfilling holiday season.
Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or something else, may your travels be safe and your gatherings be festive! Here’s to a prosperous and healthy 2010 to all of you and your loved ones! Enjoy!
The county rolled out the big guns today at our scheduled contract negotiation session. Chief Financial Officer Ms. J. Williams addressed the gathered AFSCME members and delivered nothing but bad news, as we expected.
Ms. Williams stated that the county will survive 2010 with a deficit due to the tax roll back, but 2011 is looking [...]
Continue reading about County okay in 2010, 2011 a different story. A total nightmare?
The previous report of Acting Chief Probation Officer Jesse Reyes leaving the Adult Probation Department was a bit premature.
Upon further review, the position in Bexar County, Texas was rescinded after a vote by the judges who had previously offered the position to Mr. Reyes according to news sources from San Antonio.
(From the Chicago Tribune…The same newspaper that decided the county president’s race based on the opinions of 504 people!)
The state’s largest public employees’ union issued a string of endorsements today for the Feb. 2 primary, but absent among them was a recommendation in the Democratic governor’s contest.
The lack of an endorsement by the American Federation [...]
Continue reading about Major union snubs Quinn, Hynes in Democratic governor’s race
(From the Rockford Register Star…)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is halting his prison system’s secret early release of prisoners after The Associated Press reported that some inmates served less than three weeks behind bars.
Quinn announced Sunday that his chief of staff and Department of Corrections director will review a change in prison [...]
Continue reading about Quinn suspends early release plan after AP report
(From WBBM Newsradio 780 & Associated Press…)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Repeat drunk drivers, drug users and even people convicted of battery and weapons violations are serving less than three weeks’ total time behind bars under a secret change in policy by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s prison system, The Associated Press has learned.
Records obtained [...]
Continue reading about Illinois prisons shave terms, secretly release inmates
Acting Chief Probation Officer Jesse Reyes announced his retirement from Cook County on December 10th. He is taking a job as Chief Probation Officer for Bexar County in Texas according to news sources.
AFSCME Local 3486 wishes Mr. Reyes well in his new position.
A second day of nuisance snow. Travel times doubled. Another day of trying to navigate traffic. And the county chose to get aggressive in contract negotiations on Tuesday!
After receiving notice from the Illinois Labor Board that they would be sanctioned for bad faith bargaining, the county came out swinging at Tuesday’s contract bargaining session.
The county [...]
Continue reading about Contract Update…County Uses the ‘L’ Word for 2011
On December 1st, Unicare quietly quit covering Cook County employees who had previously used their health care services. No notice of coverage cancellation, no reminder that they were stopping their service in Illinois. No County Risk Management intervention or information on your coverage status either has been provided.
If you have already made the switch to [...]
Continue reading about Health Care Benefits Changed Dec 1 – New Cards are ‘In-the-Mail?’
COUNTY UPDATE
A News Bulletin for Cook County AFSCME Members
Sales Tax Repeal Threatens Services — A penny—or half penny—lost could have a very big cost for Cook County services. The incessant battling over the one cent sales tax increase [...]