Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
 Rahm Emanuel is taking on the city's unions during a time of fiscal scarcity. CHIGAGO, IL (Catholic Online) - Even the mayor's transit chief is criticizing the unions for giving paid days off to members on the anniversary--of being hired.
In a growing nationwide trend, mayors across the nation are taking on labor unions, sometimes the very unions that supported their election, in an effort to cut costs and stave off layoffs. They argue that unions have driven up the costs of projects at a time when money is scarce and choices are tough.
Unions content that they are merely representing the interests and rights or workers. They also charge that Emmanuel is trying to squeeze more labor out of the workforce for less money, such as ending the practice of paying garbage collectors more when they work alone, but still expecting they perform the same amount of work.
Emmanuel has also cancelled raises for teachers and is trying to pit private and union organizations against one another to see which ones perform better and for less cost.
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