Cook County negotiators reached a tentative agreement early Thursday with labor leaders representing 4,000 employees ranging from X-ray technicians at County Hospital to clerical staff in the recorder of deeds office.
All are members of the Service Employees International Union, which still must ratify the agreement.
However, another 3,500 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees–mostly court workers–prepared to walk off the job for a one-day strike Thursday.
The SEIU agreement came 45-minutes after a midnight deadline had passed, and as anxious hospital workers were walking out, union officials were urging them to return to work.
Confusion reigned at Cook County Hospital, where about 40 workers left their jobs at midnight, but were told by union representatives to return to work while details of the agreement were hashed out.
“The whole situation stinks,” said Herman Trusty, 41, a hospital scheduler. “They told us at 12 to stop work, and then all of a sudden they are asking us to go back.”
Lily Segarra, 35, an emergency medical technician, said, “I think the strike should go on. It’s really unfair for them to be bargaining at one in the morning.”
Both Trusty and Segarra identified themselves as SEIU members. Some hospital workers said they had reported for duty at 11 p.m. and clocked out at midnight in support of the union.
At 12:50 a.m., union representatives told workers that a tentative agreement had been reached and the strike was averted. No details were available.
As for the AFSCME strike, “We’re going to handle court calls the best we can,” Criminal Courts Judge Joseph Kazmierski said.
The AFSCME workers expected to walk Thursday include about 1,800 Circuit Court clerk employees as well as public defenders, adult and juvenile probation officers, and clerical staff members in the offices of the chief judge and public guardian. County officials and AFSCME representatives talked until early Wednesday without reaching an agreement, and no new talks had been scheduled.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that wages and health care are two big issues,” chief AFSCME union negotiator Mike Newman said Wednesday.
County Board President John Stroger issued a statement saying employee health care costs are increasing at an annual rate of 13 percent. Employee health care will cost the county an additional $21 million next year.
“I have long supported labor unions and continue to do so,” Stroger said in the statement. “However, in the uncertain economy that we are in, it is necessary to offer wage increases and health care benefits that are both reflective of the marketplace and affordable to taxpayers.”
Stroger said contingency plans were in place to keep all county services operational.