CTA says it may fire 1,000 workers

October 27, 2004

BY MARK J. KONKOL Transportation Reporter

On CTA boss Frank Kruesi's orders, pink slips are being mailed to more than 1,000 employees warning they will be fired Jan. 2 if lawmakers don't come up with more transit funding for the Chicago region.

Union workers -- including bus and L train operators -- would take the biggest hit, accounting for about 90 percent of the job cuts, sources said.

"We have to prepare our employees as well as our customers for the possibility of service cuts and the loss of positions related to those cuts," Kruesi said. "It's not something we want to do, but it's the reality of the situation."

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308 President Ethel Carter voiced no outrage at the prospect of job cuts, saying she is "still strategizing with the CTA" and believes legislators will come up with money.

Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon said the call for layoffs is troubling.

"Once again, the easiest way for people in government to balance their budgets is on the backs of the hard-working people," he said. "[Using] these strong-arm tactics to influence Springfield may backfire on us all."

Kruesi has proposed two budgets, one that includes additional funding and one that does not. A public hearing to consider both spending plans is set for 4 p.m. today at the Palmer House Hilton.

The doomsday budget calls for bridging a $77 million budget gap with layoffs and by cutting service by 20 percent systemwide. In all, 1,250 jobs would be eliminated.

Kruesi wants lawmakers to revamp how funding is distributed by the Regional Transit Authority, which oversees CTA, Metra and Pace.

That's a move Metra officials oppose, calling it a "cash grab" and an attempt to steal money from the commuter railroad and the Pace suburban bus line.

[end]

bob schwartz post