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Chicago mayor Richard Daley’s budget plan will eliminate 29 airport “greeter” positions at O'Hare and Midway International Airports.
The red-jacketed city employees translate and answer questions for travelers.
After layoffs, managers will receive raises
Despite sacking the 29 "airport customer services representatives," Daley's proposed 2009 budget calls for keeping—and giving raises to—several managers who rank above the greeters in the Aviation Department.
Daley plans to cut the Aviation Department's "external communications" staff from 41 employees to 10, primarily by laying off the greeters. But the division would retain its $115,000-a-year marketing director, a $114,000-a-year deputy commissioner and the $95,000-a-year customer services manager.
Fiscal plan will cut 1,000 city jobs
"That seems like misplaced priorities," city Alderman Brendan Reilly said. "Reductions at management level should follow reductions of front-line staff."
The greeters, who are skilled in multiple languages, earn between $38,000 and $58,000-a-year.
The layoffs are part of almost 1,000 job cuts in a fiscal plan that aims to close a $469 million budget shortfall.
