 Initially, roughly 120 were on hand, and those numbers swelled to
175-plus after the afternoon shifts at the prisons let out.The
picketers were there to protest cutbacks in prison employees at both
the Logan and Lincoln Correctional centers, which are proposed under
the current state budget passed by the General Assembly and signed
by Gov. Pat Quinn.
New numbers confirmed by state Sen. Larry Bomke, present at the
picket, show that the number of potential job losses has been
trimmed from159 to 117, but Bomke says that number is still
unacceptable.
John Black, president of Local 2073 of the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees, put the new number in
perspective when he explained that 118 layoffs represents a full
half of the current 327 union members on the job.
A great many of the picketers' signs asked similar questions.
"Who will pay my mortgage?" was a common sign. Several more pointed
out that Quinn's proposal to allow early release of prisoners would
make neighborhoods, including those in Logan County, less safe. On
that subject, signs that said "Our jobs or your safety" and "Where
are they going to live? Will Lincoln be safe?" were the most
prevalent.
Bomke said that the current rate of recidivism (criminals
returning to prison) was at 59 percent in Illinois. He asked what
the rate would rise to if many are released before their time was
up. And with the additional cuts in social service personnel helping
with drug counseling and job training, he feared that the percentage
could rise significantly.
State Rep. Rich Brauer was also at the picket and was pleased by
the crowd and the media coverage. "The world is run by people who
show up," he said. "The governor's actions are not acceptable. This
(meaning the large crowd) shows other citizens that we are not going
to stand for this injustice. These workers have had threats to their
jobs before. That's why it is important for people to show up, to
call the governor's office and say this is wrong. This could happen
to them next. There are people here with 10, 20 years on the job."
[to top of second column] |
Bomke asked, with the potential cutbacks proposed, "How in the world
will they run these prisons?"
Dale Ridgeway, a union representative at Lincoln Correctional,
showed the senator a schedule of work hours for prison employees. An
extra, full shift, called a mandate, was under almost every
employee's name. "Some of our members have worked nine double shifts
in just July," Ridgeway told the senator.
Bomke has broken ranks with his party, saying on several
occasions that he would favor a temporary increase in the state's
income tax to try to save jobs and avoid cuts to needed services.
Both Bomke and Brauer were asked if there is hope of preventing
these devastating layoffs. Both believed there was, but it will take
a combined effort of the legislature and the governor to do so.
In the meantime, Black summed up the general feelings of the rank
and file: "Where does all of this end? Right now morale sucks. Many
of our members are second generation with family roots in this
county. These jobs need to stay. We need to stop being political
pawns."
[By
MIKE FAK]
 |
