Nov 14, 2009

Here's how much we love the Nutcracker

We do it for minimum wage.

This year however, I'm not really complaining about it, because number one, as the headline says, I really love doing it. But also, full time Evanston staff-- that's everyone who works in the office and on the maintenance staff--were given the choice of a voluntary pay cut, reduced hours (threatening their benefit package) or furlough days.

And they really had no choice but to comply, without even the dignity of the noise that has been made on the airways about the same situation in the City of Chicago.

Now don't get me wrong, although we agree to the lowered pay for the ice shows as a condition of employment, it is an outrageous exploitation of highly skilled professionals, and there's no opt-out. But at least we know this going in. Evanston's full time staff was simply told, hey, folks, you're not going to be making as much money as you used to, and by the way, just in time for Christmas!

2 comments:

  1. "It is an outrageous exploitation of highly skilled professionals, and there's no opt-out." I completely agree- and this applies to every field that is facing furloughs, unpaid holidays and shut down days. People don't realize that besides streets and sanitation worker municipalities hire highly trained, highly skilled, doctors, lawyers, architechts, engineers, etc.

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  2. Hey Gwen, missed your comment when you first posted! I have several friends who work for the city of Chicago as well, where they are not filling jobs that go vacant, and then forcing the entire non-union workforce into these unpaid furloughs; the unreported result is a city workforce at about 70% of the need to get things done.

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