Politics & Government
9 Public Works Employees Laid Off Temporarily
The layoffs are to compensate for the expense of having a full staff for the winter season, according to Director of Public Works Troy Ishler. The layoffs will be for a five-week period.
Nine employees were issued temporary layoff notices last week, set to begin April 6.
The layoffs are the second round dealt to the Public Works department, which had
In July, two workers were laid-off after the union and the city were unable to come to terms over the original set of requested concessions. The city restored those positions for the duration of the winter. The newest layoffs are necessary to compensate for the expense of keeping a full staff throughout the winter, said Public Works Director Tory Ishler.
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“These actions are regrettable but necessary to meet the budget that was passed by the City Council last year,” said Mayor Hank Kuspa. “Residents will continue to benefit from Public Works services. However, larger projects will be put on hold until the department returns to full force.”
Oak Forest police and fire departments made concessions to help with budgetary limitations, but public works did not, Ishler said.
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