Money Keeps Appearing
But never for the police contract, now approaching eighteen months expired:
Starting as early as January, the city will begin replacing sidewalks on the well-traveled Michigan Avenue bridge and swapping out plain 1960s-era handrails for replicas of the original ornate 1920s design.
[...] The $3.5 million project is "tentatively" scheduled to start next month. The project will be a challenge, considering that 30,000 people walk over the bridge on an average weekday.
We've heard that the FOP has finally talking money issues with the City and it should be noted that this is usually an end-game issue, meaning they're pretty close to having something sent out to the membership for a vote. We'll try to stay on top of this in the coming year.
Labels: contract stuff
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
46 Comments:
And, remind me, when is the Olympic committee coming back to check out Chicago again? Hmmm, I seem to remember late April or early May. Bets, anyone? I'll wager, whatever the cost, that bridge will be finished and lookin' fine.
Talked to a rep (today) who says they expect nothing before October. Also said lowering the medical coverage age to 55 from 60is looking good, because the city wants us to retire early without giving us a buyout.
Sounds like they figure a lot of guys will go at the 50% rate, instead of staying to max out and they'll save money that way. Giving us a buyout would up our pension payouts, long-term.
I know, if they go down to 55, I'm gone. And so are five other people I talked to today. Instantly.
It could be a double-edged sword. Yes, they'll save on our benefits, but they'll end up with nobody out there (very suddenly) to do any policing.
Yet another not-so-tacit reinforcement from our great Mayor to do even less in the revenue-generating department. There's blood money for everything in his city...except the most vital organ keeping the city from flat-lining.
Contract negotiation rule 1. Don't ever give up something we have!!!
He may have gnome like legs, but, he has deep pockets when it comes to $$$$$$$. Shortshanks has to wear a truss, his pockets are soooo heavy with our $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. He's a pro thief & earns interest on his $$$$$$$$. !!!!!!!
The only budget crisis affecting Chicago is for city services and city employees contracts.
There is ample money for the Olympics, 3.5 Million Dollars for the Michigan Ave. bridge, 88 Million Dollars for Michael Reese Hospital, 300 Million Dollars for the Olympic Village.
Chicago voters are the biggest suckers ever born!
I know, if they go down to 55, I'm gone. And so are five other people I talked to today. Instantly.
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Me too. That's an instant 300-700 dollar raise on the check, based upon your dependent situation. I'm about 6 months away from 25 years, and this would be enough for me!
Medical coverage at 55? Just remember that they are under no obligation to maintain that coverage after 2013. If you retire at age 50 at 50% in say, 2009, and they drop coverage...you're fucked! Not such a good deal. Just like dropping the max-out time from 32 to 29 years helped nobody but the city and increased the strain on the pension fund.
Whatever the offer, EVERYBODY vote NO!!! In order to win the olympics all labor contracts must be settled before the decision is made. What a grand way to shove it up that little pricks ass on his last term. He's been bending us over for years, I say let's put him on the receiving end this time and with no lube.
FOP SUCKS!
Great, so the city has enough money to make a bridge built in what, the 1930's look like a bridge built in the 1920's, and yet we're so broke we can't get contracts done and have to sell the skyway and parking meters.. and still have massive debt? The city's going to shit but we'll have a beautiful bridge on Michigan Avenue, that's for sure.
when is jfed going to stop all the problems on cpd. after all the feds made the mayor hire him,right?why didnt the feds make blago hire a fed? why didnt the feds make gov. ryan hire a fed? because the feds dont work that way.
If property taxes are based on home value how come the value of my home went down but taxes didnt?
You have to "spend money to make money". Make Michigan Avenue more appealing.. more people/tourists will come and spend money.
As far as paying the police more?
WHY?
In my west side district the young stupid coppers are still screaming over the air getting into foot chases over BULLSHIT.
SCABS.
Don't forget the large makeovers for the Area's. They are going to be the new homes for the Area Gang Forces. In area 5 they are taking over the basement roll call room for their new office. The parking nightmare is gonna be bad. How about lockers? This new force will need about 100 lockers.
Talk money all you want, but you better do something damn better than that 1% shit the city was trying to lay on us...
Shorthank keeps saying there is no money but yet he has more ways and projects to spend the tax payers money. Cut back on some of these stupit programs, stop planting flowers in the middle of the streets, stop spending all that money for putting speed bumps and islands on all the side streets. They cause nothing but problems for the plows and emergency vehicles. Alderman Banks has to be the king of the speed bumps. He has managed to destroy almost every street in his ward with islands and bumps, what a waste of manpower and money. I'm sure we can all make a list of the things we have seen that the city can cut back on without making any impact on citzen safety. Shortshank has played games with our contract for as long as I have been on the job (30 yrs). It's a constant game with him and his staff.
"I know, if they go down to 55, I'm gone. And so are five other people I talked to today. Instantly.
It could be a double-edged sword. Yes, they'll save on our benefits, but they'll end up with nobody out there (very suddenly) to do any policing."
So either your 55 or approaching 60so it's probable you aren't a ball of fire. Neither are your fellow greybeards, so save the "nobody out their to do any policing crap" for the barmaids or whoever else you tell the lies...
At one time it was a good thing to have a city job. Our mayor has killed that. Yes. we have a contract that states we are the last to layed off, but the mayor likes to play games with us every time he can. Look at our health insurance. Every time I use the perscription plan, something else is not covered. The out of pocket costs keep going up. We get a 3% raise but the cost of living here in the city goes up 4%. Being a city employee no longer provides seurity. I'm just afraid to see what else the mayor will do to all his departments if the Olpmpics are awarded to us. We will pay the price, not to say how the lake front will be destroyed with all the construction.
It could be a double-edged sword. Yes, they'll save on our benefits, but they'll end up with nobody out there (very suddenly) to do any policing.
12/30/2008 01:02:00 AM
You think anyone is doing a lot now? You have 20yrs on maybe you have earned the right to be a dog, but these dam 3 yr wonders, or the entitlement generation, have made laying down an art form...
Yippee Yahooey !! 18 months of retro pay so far.....I'm buying a new front gold toofus and some neck bling.
Da mayor controls all major decisions in the negotiations. This contract could be done in a week if little Daley would let it happen. The only reason we will get the lower age on health care is that it saves the city money. The IOC will be here in late spring and early fall. Little Daley is building up the city’s financial footing for the final Olympic push. So the city cannot claim poor mouth with us. He has 900 million in TIFF money, 500 million in his rainy day fund, 500 million in a bond he had to post in March of 2007 incase the private financing for the Olympics came up short. He additionally has the new money coming in for the sale of Midway and the parking meters!
The contract will work it self out. But the dark clouds forming on the horizon is the city and it’s blue ribbon committee on pensions coming out with a report in a few months. They will propose a two tiered pension program like CTA just took. It will force new hires to work longer and pay in more for the same pension we have. We ALL have to say no to this. If little Richie tries this we have to finally become a political force and stop it. If we do not get the Olympics his guy will be rolling in money after the money come in for the airport and the meters. It will be time for him to join Blago in Marion Federal Penitentiary. When Toddler joins them they can have a three way. Méénage àà trois! The problem is who gets to play the man?
T.R.P.
Go to the City of Chicago website. Look under grants. The city has over $200,000,000. Yes, over 200 million in grant money. Over half of that is carryover from last year on programs we have yet to take advantage of. Why is that?
City of Chicago 2009 Budget. Sorry, it can be found on the website.
im surprised there isnt any supersized statues of shortshanks downtown....kinda like the northkorean nimrod
Contract negotiation rule 1. Don't ever give up something we have!!!
12/30/2008 02:37:00 AM
Don't you always have to give something up in order to get something?
last update posted by FOP is from 6/20/08 way to keep the membership up to speed to fucking clowns!
Why not drop the age to 50 since thats when you can retire anyway. I will be maxed out at the age of 51 so I will miss out on that because I will be gone. 7 years to go maybe the next contract
Anonymous said...
Contract negotiation rule 1. Don't ever give up something we have!!!
12/30/2008 02:37:00 AM
I completely agree...but do you think those do-nothings at FLOP have any negotiation experience at all? Or for that matter, do you actually think they have OUR best interest at heart? Total bullshit.
YES 3.5 MILLION DOLLARS for 400 feet of sidewalk and hand rails.
What will they be Diamond studed solid Gold??? WTF?
Who cares, means ex wife gets a raise too. Bitch
its going to be that if the city agrees to the medical coverage to 55 they hope that officers will retire after and then they can implement the new 2 tiered pension that they have been pushing for.
Why dosen't the Union get out front in the press and air the memberships status? Show what is going on - how money is being spent in this city - how public safety at the cost of a pole vaulter is compaired. How important are swapping out handrails on the Michigan ave bridge is. Un-Fuck the fuck-up show what our city fathers really are.
Why don't we do some informational protesting on Mayor Shortshanks bridge ? hmmmmmmmm bet that would piss him off.
"Don't you always have to give something up in order to get something?
12/30/2008 12:43:00 PM"
No.
So either your 55 or approaching 60so it's probable you aren't a ball of fire. Neither are your fellow greybeards, so save the "nobody out their to do any policing crap" for the barmaids or whoever else you tell the lies...
12/30/2008 10:11:00 AM
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Actually, you guessed wrong. (Clue: you started with a false assumption.) Observation and perception isn't your strong point, so you must be one of those balls of fire who acts before they think. Me, I've worked long and hard at being damned good at what I do and I just go about quietly doing it.
No, I'm not worried about impressing barmaids or bosses, but if that's what comes first to YOUR mind, well, okay. That says a lot more about you than it says about me.
Don't read into the post. Don't get all defensive about how much work you're gonna do for the city when I retire. What I said was THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH BODIES TO DO THE JOB. Real simple. It's called mathematics. No hires, lots of retires. Even you, as great as you MUST be, can't cover more than one shift or be in two places at one time.
Anonymous said...
You have to "spend money to make money". Make Michigan Avenue more appealing.. more people/tourists will come and spend money.
As far as paying the police more?
WHY?
In my west side district the young stupid coppers are still screaming over the air getting into foot chases over BULLSHIT.
SCABS.
12/30/2008 09:12:00 AM
*************************
Good point
The goofs that still get this serious over NOTHING are lost.
Find dudes work, gun or let him go!
Sanbag him for Soliciting or Reckless Conduct or whatever charge is not smart. Stay off the radio unless IT IS HEINOUS and warrants getting on it!
LEARN how to NOT PANIC so much and get on the air all the time with nothing. Go around with another car and together work dude as opposed to getting the WHOLE district running crazy over "I think he had something" chases!
Sometimes the one that doesn't run is the one you need to stop he is not the DECOY! DUDE 101!
Either way .....
If you get the guy dirty great and just remember the response is there if you don't call WOLF all the time!
Signed
3rd Watch Wagon Man too fat to RUN that had better fitting pants back in the day!
"Don't you always have to give something up in order to get something?
12/30/2008 12:43:00 PM"
No.
12/30/2008 11:50:00 PM
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We do. We give up our free time because some ASA notifies us at the last minute for court. We give up our family gatherings because of a late shooting. We give up our marriages because it's hard to live with the life we lead. We give up a new car because our kids can't go to the same schools as our arrestees' kids and private schools cost big. We give up the ability to live on a quarter acre of grassy suburban land, for far less than we pay here in the city we're REQUIRED to live in. We give up being promoted on the basis of ability. We give up going on vacation when we'd like to and we go when seniority tells us we're allowed to. We give up the physical safety and security of a corporate job for the right to be shot at, spit on, stabbed, punched. We give up anonymity and expose ourselves to multimillion dollar lawsuits if we're caught actually doing our job.
In return, we get less than the cost of living. We get lower medical coverage for more 'contributions' out of our checks. We get more disciplinary time for minor infractions than at any time in our department's history. We get pushed and pulled, stressed unnecessarily by arbitrary bosses and their arbitrary rules, we get to do more and more with fewer and fewer sworn members and we're second-guessed on every decision we make despite being shorthanded and undertrained.
About time we get something in return. We've given up ENOUGH.
2 tiered pension for all officers with less than 10 years
won't be any money in the pension fund after 2040 if the city doesn't start a 2 tiered pension
it's fair if you don't like it quit or put more into deferred comp
Anonymous said...
So either your 55 or approaching 60so it's probable you aren't a ball of fire. Neither are your fellow greybeards, so save the "nobody out their to do any policing crap" for the barmaids or whoever else you tell the lies...
12/30/2008 10:11:00 AM
Ok hair gel last time, you attended a bullshit college and ended up here! How dumb are you? Mommy and daddy paid all that money and your dumbass came here! Most smart kids got good jobs or joined isp which is a police force not like the childs play here!
Has anyone else noticed that the department has moved our health insurance premium from the pre-tax category to the after tax category, thus increasing our taxable gross income? Look at the checks issued today, 31Dec08.
"Just like dropping the max-out time from 32 to 29 years helped nobody but the city and increased the strain on the pension fund."
12/30/2008 07:46:00 AM
I agree with everthing you said but not in regards to the pension.I think they should drop the max-out to 25 years. Why do we have to work 29 years to get 75% of our pension? If we are to work that long than raise it 80%. Also the reason why the pension is low is because 1st of all we have no manpower to pay into it. Second, the city borrows from our pension fund and than are told they don't have to pay back anything! We have to many retiree's and not enough hiree's. Maybe when we actually do have 13,000 P.O.s our pension may start to bounce back...I don't know if I heard this correctly but New York just hired 1000 p.o's to their city police department. I ask the city, Why can't we? We all know the city has money - where is the billions of dollars that we earned by leasing the skyway - I will tell you, it's being held up as ransom for the Olympics by Daley. Don't be surprised that the city hasn't already thought of taking money out of our pensions as a loan to pay for bullshit, such as the olympics, Michigan Bridge, etc...
The city is rich, they just want to use the money for things that make them even richer... and police are not one of those things.
Who is Shortshank???
12/31/2008 03:28:00 PM
That was beautifully said...I actually had to wipe tears from my eyes.
Anonymous said...
Who is Shortshank???
1/01/2009 05:38:00 PM
???????????????
ask Mrs. Daley, she sleeps with him (or maybe not).
That Michigan Ave. project is costing millions that we supposedly don't have.
But it must be done for the Mayor Daley Olympics.
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