Cook County & COVID-19: Progress Made Through Uncertainty

We have fought long and hard for the support of Cook County workers. we are proud to highlight some of the great progress our members have won during these unprecedented times.

COOK COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT-CERMAK

• Minimizing hours in the worksite by moving more work to be done from home and less in the workplace wherever possible.
• Absence covered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA); provides qualifying Sheriff’s Dept. members with ability to cover time off due to COVID-19 via emergency paid sick time and expanded FMLA rights.
• Suspension of face-to-face interactions (such as group sessions) between inmates and our mental health specialists
• Temperature checks at point of entry
• We continue to demand the release of detainees who have underlying health issues, are over 65 years old, near the end of their sentence, are detained because of an inability to pay bail, or were convicted of a nonviolent low level offense and that those releases pose no known public safety threat. The release of these detainees is necessary to protect worker health, public health and the health of the detainees.

COOK COUNTY CUSTODIANS, EVS, FACILITY MANAGEMENT

• Janitors working at JTDC and rolling meadows or any building are currently not required to work in areas where a confirmed covid-19 case has been indicated. The space is reopened after proper sanitation.
• PPE: EPA-approved disinfectant products, gloves, and P100 reusable masks; training for these materials will also be provided.
• Temperature checks at point of entry
• Mobile testing sites for CCH employees

RECORDER OF DEEDS

• The union pushed management to have essential workers provided with laptops, which allows for work from home. This also includes offices under the president and the Clerk’s office.
• But just because we’ve reached these much-needed wins, doesn’t mean our fight stops! Stand in solidarity with your brothers and sisters during this uncertain period.

We continue to demand the following:

• Testing all essential workers required to report to work for COVID-19
• Providing Cook County Health workers with 80 hours of Covid-19 paid sick leave and the expanded paid FMLA per the Federal Legislation
• Assurances that every worker has the PPEs that they need and are given training on the proper use of the PPEs
• Hazard pay for essential healthcare and other workers for hours worked on site
• Greater transparency and communications across the County. It’S currently uneven. For example, the Sheriff’s DEPT. is doing well while Cook county Health needs to do better.