KLEPT, maltreatment of employees in the Recorder of Deeds office

The Illinois Labor Relations Board has required the Cook County Recorder of Deeds to post the notice below.

One employee involved in a dispute with the Recorder's office has alleged Recorder of Deeds Eugene "Gene" Moore has inappropriately or illegally terminated large numbers of employees. The employee alleges that the purpose of these terminations is to make room for political patronage.

Is it too much to expect Democrats to follow labor law? The notice reads pretty harshly.

After a hearing in which all parties had the opportunity to present their evidence, the Illinois Labor Relations Board found that the Cook County Recorder of Deeds has violated the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, and has order us to post this Notice. We hereby notify you that:

The Illinois Public Labor Relations Act (Act) gives you, as an employee, these rights:

· To engage in self-organization
· To form, join, or assist unions
· To bargain collectively through a representative of your own choosing
· To act together with other employees to bargain collectively or for other mutual aid or protection
· To refrain from these activities.

Accordingly, we assure you that:

WE WILL cease and desist from treating or continuing to treat as ineligible for Family Medical Leave those employees represented by the Service Employees International Union, Local 73, who at the time of applying for Family Medical Leave, have at least 1,250 hours of actual work time and paid time of any kind, in the previous 12 month period.

WE WILL cease and desist from unilaterally changing the terms and conditions of employment of employees within the bargaining unit represented by the Service Employee International Union, Local 73, in particular those terms and conditions of employment regarding Family Medical Leave, except as allowed by law upon reaching impasse or settlement without repudiation of agreements previously reached.

WE WILL cease and desist from failing to bargain in good faith with the Service Employees International Union, Local 73, over any decision to change the eligibility requirements for Family Medical Leave from those in effect prior to November 2003.

WE WILL cease and desist from failing and refusing to bargain with the Service Employees International Union, Local 73, as to decisions that affect wages, hours or terms and conditions of employment for those employees represented by that organization for purposes of collective bargaining, as may by required by the Act.

WE WILL cease and desist from in any like or related manner, interfering with, restraining or coercing public employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed them under the act.

WE WILL Rescind the decision not to include hours paid along with hours worked in determining whether employees within the bargaining unit represented by the Service Employees International Union, Local 73, are eligible for Family Medical Leave based upon service in the previous 12 month period.

WE WILL, following rescinding the decision not to include hours paid in determining eligibility for Family Medical Leave, and making whole those employees represented by the Service Employees International Union, Local 73, affected by that decision, thereafter, if we form an intent not to include hours paid with hours worked in such determinations, inform the Service Employees International Union, Local 73, of such intent and afford to it an opportunity to bargain about such a decision;

WE WILL make whole those employees represented by the Service Employees International Union, Local 73, who were denied Family Medical Leave, by reason of not previously including their hours paid with hours worked in determining their eligibility status for Family Medical Leave, by treating them as having been eligible for Family Medical Leave (and as successfully applying for said Family Medical Leave if they were absent for such times and periods as set out in the leave request so denied), including making them whole for any losses incurred as a result of their previous status of being ineligible for such leave, including back pay, if any, with interest computed at the rate of seven percent per annum as allowed by the Act.

DATE: November 7, 2005

//signed// Darlena Williams Burnett
Cook County Recorder of Deeds

//signed//Askia Abdullah
FMLA Coordinator
(Representative)