Toni Preckwinkle’s Choice: Settle the Contract or Own the Strike

Cook County continued to propose no pay increase for 2021 and a 2% increase each year between 2022-2024, meanwhile raising health insurance costs for workers by up to 80%.

Toni Preckwinkle could come to the negotiations and settle the contract. She could show her respect for thousands of frontline workers who were the heroes of the County before and during the pandemic. Toni could come to the table with meaningful wage increases, proposals that respect equal pay for equal work, and agree to affordable health insurance.

Instead Toni Preckwinkle is offering no solutions to better staff our hospitals and clinics, support long term workers across the Clerk’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office or her own office. SHE IS NOT EVEN OFFERING PANDEMIC PAY EVEN THOUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS PAYING FOR IT.

Toni Preckwinkle is making the wrong choice to spend millions of federal COVID relief funds to hire replacement workers (scabs) and treating the County’s own employees as her enemies. She is disrespecting every SEIU member who kept Cook County functioning during the pandemic.

Enough is enough! Toni Preckwinkle can settle our contract and if not she will own the strike! Our final scheduled bargaining session is set for June 23. If the County does not do the right thing, then we will strike on Friday, June 25, starting at 6am!

You can view the latest information on Cook County Bargaining on our website.