City Of Joliet Asking All Employees Including Unions and Management to Take 4% Pay Cut

The City of Joliet continues to look for ways to save money as a result of the financial burden from the coronavirus. The city is asking all of its employees including union employees and managers to take up to a 4% pay cut. Interim City Manager Steve Jones has told WJOL that he has met with all six unions: Police (FOP); Police Supervisors (FOPSU); Fire Labor; Fire Supervisors; AFSCME and Operating Engineers. The six unions and their members make up approximately 90% of the city’s workforce. The dollar amount needed to fill the current gap is $3.9 million.

Slightly over $9 million in other cuts have been identified in city’s General Fund and will be implemented in 2020 to minimize the current deficit. The city has not yet placed a timetable on when the pay cuts would expire but has set tentative date of December 31, 2020. Jones also stated that if there is a federal stimulus bill or other federal funding that would assist in revenue replacement or expense reimbursements that would fill the deficit, they would restore wages.

Current estimates for 2020 deficit range from $12-20 million.