Daley: City Managers To Take Nearly Five Weeks Off

Thousands Of City Workers To Take 24 Unpaid Days In 2010

Faced with a $550 million budget deficit, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley on Monday said that all non-union city workers would take nearly five working weeks of unpaid leave next year to save the city money.

Daley announced plans Monday to save $114 million by requiring 3,600 non-union city workers to take 24 unpaid days off, eliminating 220 vacant jobs and cutting expenses like travel and supplies by $20 million.

It's about a nine percent pay cut next year for top city officials, administrators and middle managers at City Hall -- including the mayor himself. That will cost about $8,100 for a boss who usually makes $90,000.

Those furlough days would not affect frontline employees who actually deliver services to the public. But one analyst said the move would still affect city services.

"You won't have enough people on the management side of the ledger making sure that people, like I say, show up on time, do their job, are held accountable," said Ralph Martire, executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.

 "For any business to function, for any service to be provided well, whether in the public sector or the private sector, you need adequate number of managers or administrators to go along with the front-line workers."

Unlike this year, when City Hall shut down on three regular work days, there will be none of that in 2010.

The city's non-union workers were set to take off one personal day a month, a total of 12 unpaid personal days for each worker. The 12 regular holidays, such as New Years Day and Thanksgiving Day, will also be unpaid.

Dozens of city labor unions previously cut a separate furlough-day agreement.
Daley has said he won't support tax increases in these tough financial times to raise more city revenue.

The mayor will present his proposed 2010 budget at Wednesday's City Council meeting.

The city will save $70 million through the union agreements and unpaid holidays and furloughs for nonunion workers.

CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery and the Associated Press contributed to this report.