Village should settle with employees

We are civilian employees of the Schaumburg Police Department and members of AFSCME Local 1919. Our union local is the biggest union in the village, representing employees across nine village departments.

The village's contract with our union has been expired for more than a year.

While the negotiating process can take time, we are increasingly frustrated by two major issues: the village's unwillingness to allow employees to use sick time for the care of our immediate family members, and its refusal to offer a pay raise for fiscal year 2017, something all other Village of Schaumburg employees received.

Currently, members of our union earn sick time, but when a child, spouse, or parent gets sick, we are told we can't use it. But here too, just as all other employees received an FY17 pay raise, the village has granted nonunion employees the right to use sick time to care for immediate family members but deny us.

The majority of AFSCME members who work for the village are women. We all know that women are more likely than men to care for a sick child or parent. Why are we denied the right to use our earned time for this purpose? And why is our group the only one expected to work a year without a raise?

We call on village management to listen to our concerns of employees and settle the contract. That simple act would send a positive message and improve employee morale.

Debbie Diamond, President

AFSCME Local 1919

Schaumburg