Correct Success: Chicago Crossing Guards, Now Inactive With No In-Person School, Worry They May Lose Health Insurance

Chicago Crossing Guards, Now Inactive With No In-Person School, Worry They May Lose Health Insurance – CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) — In a possible pandemic casualty, lots of of Chicago crossing guards worry they could lose their medical health insurance in only a few weeks.

They are saying they don’t seem to be getting solutions from town or their union. And as CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported Wednesday night time, it’s all tied to town’s finances and its $1.2 billion deficit.

“How do you simply smack any individual away and throw them off after which anticipate them to outlive?” mentioned one 20-year veteran crossing guard, who needed to stay nameless.

There’s a variety of anger and uncertainty proper now for town’s college crossing guards.

“They’re telling us after November 30, the medical health insurance goes to cease,” the nameless crossing guard mentioned.

She mentioned she and her retired husband depend on her medical health insurance. However the govt vp for the union representing the guards confirms the insurance coverage laborious cease is a chance.

It’s looming because the Service Staff Worldwide Union Native 73 continues to work out how the administration of the $14 million crossing guard unit will transfer from Chicago’s Workplace of Emergency Administration and Communications to the Chicago Public Colleges.

Guards bought a letter from OEMC final month informing them of a change, leaving them with much more questions.

“How are we transitioning?” the crossing guard mentioned. “What is going to we now have? What is going to we not have?”

SEIU’s Jeffrey Howard mentioned the medical health insurance concern may impression 350 crossing guards. The sticking level is their inactive standing – with no in-person college, there is no such thing as a work.

And Howard mentioned the present contact solely pays well being care cots for inactive staff for 3 months – ending Nov. 30.

“That is the season the place you want your insurance coverage,” the crossing guard mentioned. “This can be a time once you want stability.”

A CPS consultant deferred inquiries to the Mayor’s workplace. A Mayor’s workplace consultant mentioned no positions can be reduce because of the switch, however mentioned the medical health insurance concern remains to be being labored out.

The overriding concern is probably going whether or not CPS can afford it.

These inactive crossing guards technically aren’t furloughed, however they’re additionally not getting paid.

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