It’s a fight to save their jobs as dozens of Illinois Tollway workers, including toll collectors, held a rally outside the agency’s headquarters Thursday morning, calling on administrators to do what it’s necessary.
“This is the first time this has happened,” said Joseph Codina, who has worked at the turnpike for 22 years. “It’s stressful, it’s devastating to see the way this has happened all of a sudden.”
“They spend all this money to train us, but then you let us go,” Tameca Davis said.
Davis and his colleagues are represented by SEIU Local 73. They said the agency announced plans in March to lay off 147 workers. The news came as the union continues to negotiate a new contract.
“I raised a son here; I took care of my dad,” Davis said. “My father is ill, he lives with me now and my sister is autistic, so this job has allowed me to take care of my family.”
Amid news of planned layoffs, union officials are pleading for Tollway to reconsider its decision.
“This is truly a travesty for the people of Illinois,” said Joseph Richert, secretary-treasurer of SEIU Local 73. “Customers will not receive the quality service they deserve.”
Union officials told NBC Chicago they had been negotiating with the highway agency for months and came up with a counterproposal. The union wants the agency to extend the layoff date, increase the proposed severance package and pay employees for earned vacation and sick time.
Richert told NBC Chicago that the Turnpike agreed to extend the layoff date from May 17 to May 31. The workers learned that their jobs would be subcontracted to the Chicago Lighthouse, an organization dedicated to finding employment opportunities for blind and visually impaired residents, as well as veterans and other groups.
“Basically, they said it wasn’t economical. They want to invest in Lighthouse and support these workers,” Richert said. “They want to have the flexibility to be able to staff up, but the calls keep increasing, the length of calls keeps increasing.”
A Turnpike spokesperson declined our request for an on-camera interview, but released a statement to NBC 5 saying:
“The Illinois Tollway is currently in negotiations with SEIU for a new contract, which includes eliminating toll collector and related positions currently held by approximately 135 union employees. These unionized employees will have the opportunity to seek other positions at Tollway and will benefit from career guidance, wellness support and other support services. Regarding layoffs, Tollway will negotiate terms with union representatives.
“The Turnpike’s investment in technology and its transition to fully electronic tolling has been ongoing for many years. In 2020, as a result of COVID-19, the toll road had to immediately stop cash collection on all toll roads and, as a result, implemented the full conversion. During the pandemic, the Tollway provided its toll collectors with a way to maintain their jobs until the Tollway could reevaluate collecting money after the pandemic resolved.
“You don’t treat quality that way. Quality has to be rewarded. They invested in these employees, the employees understood the investment that they exceeded and excelled and they are rewarded by being fired and that’s terrible,” Richert said.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for April 25, according to union officials.
NBC Chicago
