Progress Illinois

This is a bizarre proposal:

Nearly 300 Chicago crossing guards, detention aides and traffic control aides could face layoffs next month as their jobs are replaced by city police officers, a union representing those workers said today. [...]

"The police officers make a lot more per hour than the regular Crossing Guards, Detention Aides and Traffic Control Aides." SEIU Local 73 Secretary-Treasurer Matt Brandon said in the news release. "Anytime you're doing something like that, how do you justify it financially?"

"On top of that, the real tradeoff is public safety," Brandon added. "These layoffs would take police off the street at a time when the city's murder rate is already way too high."

On the Local 73 website, Brandon surmises that it might be a ploy to squeeze concessions out of these civilian public-safety employees:

The union is consulting with its attorneys regarding its legal options.

“Based on current media coverage, it would not surprise us if the city came to us and proposed concessions in return for saving these jobs,” Brandon said.

Stay tuned ...

UPDATE: Brandon talks to the Sun-Times:

“Detention aides work in lock-ups. They’ll be replaced by police for sure. Crossing guards are replaced by police now if they’re absent. Layoffs will mean more of that. And traffic control aides would probably be replaced by uniformed officers,” said Matt Brandon, secretary-treasurer of Local 73.

“When you take police away from enforcement, it hurts the public. It means less police on patrol in areas where crime is high. Instead of layoffs, they should use some of the $1.2 billion rainy day fund to offset” a threatened, $300 million year-end shortfall.

Full disclosure: The SEIU Illinois State Council sponsors this website.