Police Dept. civilian workers protest cuts

CITY HALL | Neither city nor union representing their interests, they say

Crossing guards, detention aides and traffic control aides descended on a City Council committee Tuesday to unleash their anger about impending layoffs.

Their frustrations were directed at both the city and their union, Service Employees Local 73.

The city was blamed for targeting 296 civilian police employees for a chunk of the 1,504 layoffs scheduled to take effect July 15, forcing uniformed police officers to do jobs that have nothing to do with fighting crime.

The union was blamed for failing to sign off on the 16 unpaid furlough days and other concessions that would avert the need for layoffs.

"We will take the [furlough] days. We will make the adjustments. But somehow, people are demanding something that we haven't demanded," said detention aide John Joynter. "We are not being represented by either the city or the union."

Detention aide Joe Campbell pointed the finger at City Hall.

"They want to put more police officers on the street. How are you going to do that? If you take the detention aides out, you must put someone in that position," Campbell said.

Although the layoffs were not on the Police Committee's agenda, and aldermen have no role in union negotiations, Chairman Isaac Carothers (29th) fielded questions for 20 minutes.

"No one wants to see police come off the street and then work in jobs that civilians have had," he said. But he added, "You are represented by your union leadership. They negotiate with the city."

Matt Brandon, secretary-treasurer of Local 73, said he knows most of his members favor furlough days. But the sticking point is $3.8 million in retroactive pay raises dating back to June 30, 2007.

"We want that to be retro-fitted to those furlough days. In other words, 16 furlough days minus $3.8 million. Now, how many furlough days?" he said.