Mayor Daley Addresses City Layoffs

Union leaders boycotted a meeting with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who wanted to make another plea for unionized city workers to take 16 days off without pay to avoid 1,100 layoffs.

Although Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon could not be reached for comment Wednesday, union leaders have already rejected the mayors request that the unpaid days off be taken by Dec. 31, and compensatory time be taken for overtime instead of cash.

Labor officials have said they wanted a two-year, no-layoff guarantee in exchange for accepting the furlough plan. Daley has said it is a guarantee he cannot give because of steadily declining city revenues.

Daley spokeswoman Jacquelyn Heard said with the failure to reach agreement with the unions, layoffs could happen as soon as this week.