AFSCME Local 3506 has filed an Unfair Labor Practice against the City Colleges of Chicago due to their laying off of 40 adult educators at Cook County Department of Corrections with short notice. These layoffs effectively ended the adult education classes leaving 1000s of inmates without classes for the time being.

Ghingo Brooks, a spokesperson from Malcolm X College speaking on behalf of the administrators of the adult education classes, agreed that the layoffs occurred at short notice. According to him, however, administration has been working to improve the classes.

Earl Silbar, Chief Steward of AFSCME Local 3506, contends that the layoffs were due to mismanagement of the adult education classes by administration and that the layed off teachers are being blamed for administrative mismanagement.

Union representatives and City College of Chicago officials are in impact bargaining to reinstate the adult education classes. Tracy Kurowski, Secretary of AFSCME Local 3506, expressed her doubts that the classes would be reinstated and predicted that even if the classes were reinstated, only a handful of the teacher positions would be reinstated.

Charlene Kopnick, one of the laid off teachers, argued that the adult education classes were an important factor in reducing recidivism.

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