Although gas prices have fallen, airlines are still suffering across the nation. With unemployment on the rise, many individuals can’t afford to travel. This is has caused many in the industry to have to layoff employees in order to keep their profits up, but the job in Chicago that may receive the ax at local airports are being lost for different reasons.
According to the Chicago Tribune, 29 airport greeters will soon be unemployed as a part of Mayor Richard Daley’s plan to save the city money. These customer service employees were responsible for assisting travelers by answering questions and providing translation services when needed. Currently there are 24 of these employees at O’Hare and 5 at Midway.
Tribune reporters John Hilkevitch and Dan Mihalopoulos said that the mayor’s new budget for next year calls for not only the loss of around 1,000 jobs in Chicago, but also retains several managers who are over the soon-to-be-unemployed airport greeters. These supervisors with the Aviation Department will also be receiving raises under Daley’s plan. The department’s “external communication” staff is expected to drop from 41 workers to 10, mostly by the loss of the greeters.
According to the Tribune, documents explaining the city’s new budget show that the jobs in Chicago in the department that will remain untouched include a marketing director, who receives $114,585 a year, a deputy commissioner, whose annual salary is $114,084, and a customer service manager, who makes $94,848 a year. The greeters made anywhere from $38,000 to $58,000 a year.
All of the jobs in Chicago that will be cut by the mayor’s plan are expected to help make up for the city’s $469 million deficit. Tribune reporters said that aldermen have already given their preliminary approval for the proposal and will cast their final vote on Wednesday, November 19th.
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