Pat Barcas photo
Lights spell out “Rahm Emanuel = Job Killer” Tuesday night in front of the Christmas tree in Daley Plaza. About 300 SEIU janitors are hoping they can change the mind of the mayor by Friday night, or else they might be out of a job by Saturday morning.

By Pat Barcas
Staff Writer
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012
     CHICAGO — Things heated up even more this week between SEIU O’Hare janitors and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, as the janitors fight to keep their well paying union jobs. The janitors’ contract expires at midnight tomorrow, which means about 300 union workers could lose their jobs right before Christmas under the new management contract.
     With just a few days remaining before the contract changes hands, the workers whose jobs are at risk hope public outcry and City Council support will move the mayor to rebid the cleaning contract at O’Hare to a responsible company.
     Tuesday morning, members of the Chicago City Council held a press conference at City Hall, calling for Emanuel to protect middle-class jobs in Chicago by rebidding the O’Hare cleaning contract and passing the Responsible Bidders Ordinance (RBO), which calls for higher standards and accountability for contractors that do business with the city.
     That night, workers took to the streets in front of city hall and Daley Plaza to send a message to the mayor — they are not done fighting.
     “Hundreds of Chicago families will find themselves in crisis 10 days before Christmas,” said Nick Sposato, Alderman of the 36th Ward and co-sponsor of the RBO, which has 31 aldermen sponsoring it. “The mayor should be protecting good jobs in our city, not eliminating them. Good jobs help our middle class grow and make our communities stronger. We need to ensure companies we hire are responsible and uphold the values of Chicago.”
     The new contractor, United Maintenance, has alleged ties to the mob and would pay airport janitors and window washers $11.90 an hour — a pay cut of up to 30 percent for the vast majority of the current workforce, who make more than $15 an hour currently. If United Maintenance begins work at O’Hare Dec. 14 as planned, hundreds of janitors and window washers — the vast majority of which are people of color and immigrants — could lose their jobs.
     “We hope we can turn the tide here, we hope the mayor’s office is listening,” said Izabela Miltko, communications specialist for SEIU Local 1, who joined the janitors on the picket line Tuesday. “We still have time to make him change his mind, that’s why we’re out here.”
     SEIU Local 1 says that many of Emanuel’s recent economic deals haven’t created the number of new jobs promised and wages for 90 percent of Chicagoans have remained flat. Chicago has the third highest poverty rate, the second highest foreclosure rate, and the highest level of racial income disparity of any city in the country.

Pat Barcas’ e-mail address is pat@foxvalleylabornews.com.