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The Daily Northwestern Thursday, May 1, 2014
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City leadership against fire bill By PAIGE LESKIN
the daily northwestern @paigeleskin
Evanston officials took a strong stance this month against a proposed Illinois bill that would give local leaders less power in determining the appropriate number of firefighters and paramedics in their own communities. The measure, which passed the state House of Representatives on April 3, would amend the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, which originally gave public employees the right to collective bargaining. The new legislation would make department-manning requirements and issues concerning wages, hours and employment conditions subject to arbitration by an outside source. “The city believes that staffing levels should be determined by management,” Evanston fire department Chief Greg Klaiber said. “(The bill) takes control away from management and puts it in the hands of a third party.” The bill was introduced by Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) and Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) in February and would apply to all communities in Illinois, with the exception of Chicago, which employs more than 4,500 firefighters and paramedics. The bill has garnered support from the firefighters’ union and advocates for helping to resolve safety concerns. However, Klaiber said standards
imposed by an arbitrator who would not understand the needs of Evanston as well as local officials do could cost the city money. “We could have layoffs in other departments, just to comply with the arbitrator’s decision,” he said. Klaiber said he believes Evanston currently holds a sufficient number of employees in its fire department, with just more than 100 full-time members. He touted leaving the decision about staffing levels in the hands of the city and city manager Wally Bobkiewicz. Other organizations have also expressed their opposition to the “manning bill.” The Northwest Municipal Conference, an authority that presides over local governments in Chicago’s north and northwest suburbs, has staged a full-blown effort to stop the legislation’s progress. The bill “would leave taxpayers on the hook for tens of millions of dollars of unnecessary fire department staffing costs,” executive director Mark Fowler wrote April 18 in a weekly city report. NWMC’s legislative committee formulated a plan that would publicize the bill’s possible negative impact. Fowler called for government officials to contact their legislatures and express their desire to defeat the measure. Bobkiewicz and Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl traveled to Springfield on Wednesday for the annual Illinois Municipal League Lobby Day, where » See BILL, page 7
Nathan Richards/Daily Senior Staffer
BACK TO WORK Sodexo employee Rafael Marquez addresses activists at The Arch during a rally supporting him on April 21. Marquez subsequently retained his job with Sodexo.
Employee returns to work By REBECCA SAVRANSKY daily senior staffer @beccasavransky
A Sodexo employee who was put on temporary suspension last week returned to work Tuesday after he said he received a final written warning stating that similar behavior in the future would result in “further disciplinary action.” Rafael Marquez, a food service worker in 1835 Hinman dining hall, said he was initially accused of being “overexcited” and “under the influence” at the workplace, after which he was put on temporary suspension and required to turn in statements attesting to his stability to the Sodexo Human Resources Office.
He said at the time he was accused, he was defending another worker who was being reprimanded for poor labor. His situation spurred student action, with a march being organized to walk Marquez from The Arch to Sargent Hall where he turned in his statements to the Sodexo Human Resources Office. Since his suspension, Marquez said he has been in contact with several students about possibly planning further protests or organizing petitions. During his time off, he said he was called into the Sodexo office and “interrogated” for about an hour. Sodexo officials then further accused Marquez of engaging in threatening actions and violating parts of the official Sodexo documents, he said.
Due to privacy rights, Eddie Skidmore, Sodexo area marketing coordinator, said he could not comment on the situation. Rick Siwecki, Sodexo district human resources manager, referred comment to Erich Geiger, resident dining operations manager, who could not be reached. Marquez said being given a final written warning violates the progressive discipline agreement in his union contract. This agreement says an employee must be given a set number of warnings prior to being terminated or given further disciplinary measures, he said. “They’re skipping the first warning and second warning and just going » See RESPONSE, page 7
CTA’s Ventra rollout Title IX next steps presented enters final stages Associated Student Government
By REBECCA SAVRANSKY daily senior staffer @beccasavransky
Members of the Associated Student Government presented Wednesday future steps to facilitate student discussion on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 in an update on previously passed legislation. In the initial piece of legislation, passed on April 9, a three-week deadline was implemented for those involved to report back to Senate with actions they plan to take to improve resources for sexual assault victims and create more effective prevention methods. Members involved in the effort said they had reached out to the heads of several groups including Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educators, Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault and students who participated in the Title IX protests over the past few months, among others. Chris Harlow, ASG student life vice president, said the team has spoken to the administration and is in the process of setting up an initial meeting with students to outline further actions. “Right now, the administration has a Title IX Committee,” Harlow said. “This will kind of be a committee for students working independently away
By BAILEY WILLIAMS
the daily northwestern @news_BaileyW
Nathan Richards/Daily Senior Staffer
BUILD YOUR BRAND Chief Marketing Officer Mary Baglivo addresses Associated Student Government Wednesday night. Baglivo outlined her vision on how to establish the NU brand in her presentation.
from administration just to kind of serve as a community forum.” Harlow said they will report back to Senate to discuss the next steps and give further information. Chief marketing officer Mary Baglivo also spoke to ASG about her efforts to better market the University through developing a “compelling and cohesive” overarching idea. Baglivo said the University is outperforming its ranking. “In many ways, the performance of the product, if you will, was ahead
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of its reputation,” she said. “I’m trying to work on the overall Northwestern brand.” The objectives for her project include improving the University’s reputation, increasing alumni participation rates and increasing student satisfaction rates, which she said was the most “pivotal” goal. The ASG operating budget was also discussed, with the addition of several » See SENATE, page 7
The transition to Ventra will be nearly complete Thursday, largely ending old payment methods previously used for the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace Suburban Bus Service. Starting on May 1, customers will not be able to purchase cards with magnetic stripes or reload their Chicago Cards and Chicago Card Plus. Customers will still be able to reload old magnetic stripe cards until June 1. Both the CTA and Pace buses are offering ways to transfer funds that customers may have remaining on outdated payment methods after May 1. CTA and Pace customer service departments will hold “balance transfer events” in Chicago on May 8 at Jefferson Park Branch Library, 5363 W. Lawrence Ave., and May 10 at Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School, 4959 S. Archer Ave. There will be more events in June. Additional Ventra transfer events will be held at CTA headquarters every Tuesday.
Additionally, customers who have remaining balances will have the opportunity to transfer those funds to their Ventra cards through a “mail-in option” later this spring, although the complete details have not yet been disclosed. About 86 percent of CTA rides and 61 percent of Pace rides are already paid for using Ventra, according to a CTA and Pace news release. Ventra cards can be purchased at vending machines at CTA rail stations or online at ventrachicago.com, CTA and Pace officials said in a news release. Ventra cards purchased in machines are activated upon purchase, but cards received in the mail must be activated before use. On June 1, riders will be prevented from using their Chicago Cards and reloading their magnetic stripe fare cards. Despite this deadline, the CTA’s website warns that some Chicago Card or Chicago Card Plus cards may not be accepted prior to June 1. By July 1, magnetic stripe cards will no longer be accepted as payment, according to the CTA website. baileywilliams2017@u.northwestern.edu
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