I call this meeting to order
of the Committee on Workforce Development,
and we're gonna recess till 10 30, waiting on quorum.
Thank you everyone.
City of Chicago, city Council Rules of Convict
for Public Meetings.
2023 to 2027.
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and procedure,
city of Chicago City Council Rules of Convict
for Public Meetings.
2023 to 2027.
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and Procedure Rule 49,
the sergeant at ARM sets forth the following rules
of convict to be followed during the public comment period.
And the duration of all committee and city council meetings.
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and failure to comply will result in their being subject
to removal from the meeting by the Sergeant at arms,
The Committee on Workforce Development will now come
to, uh, reorder.
Forgive me. Uh,
today we have three agendas, uh, agenda items.
The first is the approval of the June 3rd Rule 45 report,
resolution 2024 dash 0 0 1 3 1 2 8, declaring October 28th
as First Responders Day in Chicago.
And finally, a direct introduction
of an ordinance authorizing the execution
of the CBA collective bargaining agreement between the City
of Chicago and International Brotherhood
of Teamsters Local 7 43.
Before we begin, I will conduct a roll call
of our members, alderman Yancy.
Alderman Yancy's, president Alderman Hall. Alderman Beal.
Alderman Chico. Alderman Chico is present.
Alderwoman Ramirez. Alderman Quinn.
Alderman Quinn is present. Vice Chair Gutierrez. Here.
Vice Chair Gutierrez is present. Alderman Coleman.
Alderman Curtis. Alderman Curtis is present.
The chair is present. Alderman Tall Farrell.
Alderman Farrell is present. Alderman Ramirez.
Rosa Alderman Spas. Alder person, Vasquez Alder person.
Vasquez is present. Alderwoman
Clay, I believe she's on her way.
We have eight. And that is a quorum.
Um, by Rule 59, committee members, Carlos Ramirez, Rosa,
and William Hall, have requested to attend by remote means.
Uh, may I have a motion to allow for that?
Alder, uh, vice Chair Gutierrez.
So moves all those in favor of permitting.
Alder Persons Ramirez, Rosa,
and Hall to attend remotely today.
Please respond by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed?
In the opinion of the chair? The ayes have it.
We have Alder Fuentes also in attendance for the role.
At this time, we will begin our public comment period.
The public comment period is limited, 30 minutes or less.
Each speaker will have three minutes outta
respect for everyone's time.
Um, our first speaker today is Mr. George Blakemore.
Speaking to the empty seats here,
there's something inherently wrong
to have a committee meeting
that the people do not attend.
Most of the people here are part of the system.
They work, uh, for the city of Chicago.
And then negotiated, uh, contracts. Workforce.
Where in workforce is racism? In workforce? What?
That's right. And it's racism with these unions.
The teacher's union.
Police unions Is, is evil here, is corrupt.
Here is sinful here.
And the reason this can continually go on
because you have no citizen participation.
Well, they voted. You just can't vote.
You got to make them accountable every day.
Every day. You got to get on them.
So they don't represent you.
They're a little, uh, conjured a little group
of people that are selfish.
They represent themselves. They don't represent the public.
This is a broken system, a corrupt city,
a city that doesn't work.
But how do you know Mr.
Blakemore, all these elected officials
that's been indicted birth
and all back during it is terrible here.
But what, uh, what party do they have a multi party here?
No. What kind of party? A one party system.
The Democrats 69 in each other,
or one party system.
Well, that sound like coming to China or Russia.
That, that doesn't sound how, like, how democracy work.
You have multi parties, you know,
you have checks and balance.
Maybe we need a benevolent dictator or,
or a benevolent dictator might be better than these.
So-called, uh, Democrat, that's running this government.
Now, my, my mother and father, they did not run that house,
uh, a a with, with, uh, they ran it like a dictator.
So that's what we need here.
Well, Trump's not a dictator, whether Trump
or racist buying this too on my way
to Freedom land, I'm going red.
Oh, you going, I'm going red.
If you can go blue, I can go red because I hate you
and you made me hate you
by the way you have treated my people.
And something is wrong with black people on the plantation.
The the master made. What a n****r. What?
Well, not a black man.
We gotta purge ourself of a slave mentality
and become strong black men and women.
And we must be selfish people, brother.
Thank you, Mr. Blakemore. Next up is Taiwan Sims.
Good morning committee. Good morning.
I'm David Rodriguez, the chairman.
I don't really know how to Michael Rodriguez. David.
Well, David, I like that better.
So when I first came into it, we,
there was an education meeting happening
and you came in the room and you said,
if you not at the table, then you, the snack.
However, let me reiterate that again.
Once again, black Americans are hard to digest right now.
The unemployment rate, well, the unemployment rate
for black American men in the city of Chicago is 5.4.
It's been this way historically, now
for 50 years would make it historic.
However, in these last, what, since 2019, we see
that it's been exacerbated by the practices
that I can only say this committee right here,
while you ignore the fact
that I'm speaking into the mic about a certain, about a,
a detriment that's happening to
citizens here in the Chicago.
But I know it's a what a agenda
to, I guess eradicate.
Because if we don't have finance, if we don't have
what economy, if we don't have these,
if we don't have money, then we did in the water.
Or if we don't have money,
then we become the snack in your belly
or the snack in the belly of those people who thought
or had some, um, assumption
that they might be able to get away with it.
This $1 billion was brought on by Ineptness
on the behalf of you, Michael,
or your bias towards a nation of people
that you don't even understand.
Or the Democratic party.
I don't know what it is, but I could
tell you this, it won't work.
I could surely tell you this
and we can point it out through the billion dollars.
When you came in and y'all was champion for what?
The work, um, the work permits, but as of what?
October 8th, the safe passage that's all over with.
So your Venezuelans, they got what, a couple more months,
but they really working illegally right now.
And for all those jobs that you try
to undercut black Americans out of,
once Trump get in office,
then we'll be right back in generation.
So you can hold that little big head.
But I'm telling you, man, this is ridiculous
to believe that in 40, what, 44 years?
I thought that we was getting somewhere as a people.
I thought they seen some value, but they don't
because y'all wanna hold,
you wanna hold your piddly little self up above others.
I'm not gonna blame a nation of people
or that criminal over that vast square for every,
every individual in this room
that thought y'all was gonna get away with it.
And also for the shot spotter thing,
look, try to get it back.
But since this workforce development, the, the way y'all try
to whittle that 75 million outta cutting that cadet,
those two months of cadet class, take that.
Y'all need to take that to Brandon Johnson.
Understand that they screwing us in this city.
They screwing us because they got a bias against Americans.
Thank you. Next up Is Zoe Lee.
See you guys about to do a resolution
for the first responders.
And it's crazy 'cause you guys do deserve it.
But again, the issue is
that it's no, it's no structure in in America right now.
That's just, that's just what it's no structure in Chicago.
I don't care if for neither party and that's just real.
But for 60 years,
the Democratic Party has been getting the black vote.
And to come here for the past year
and a half fighting for my mother's property
that was unlawfully demolished from the city of Chicago.
And to see all these black homeless men outside
with mental health issues that is not,
and as being un it's just not being taken care
of is a problem.
These people could all have jobs.
So to come here to this workforce to hear you guys about,
they're about to praise you, black men, you know,
for doing y'all job.
But at the end of the day, they don't care about y'all.
They don't care about black men at all.
And y'all are our muscle. Y'all are our muscle,
and they do not care about y'all.
And the only way
that this is gonna stop is if Black America boycott.
But we scared to do that even though our ancestors
showed us that we could do this.
So since we can't do that,
I'm gonna take my talents over here to the Republican party
because at the end of the day when people always say, well,
what has the Republicans done for us?
Well, they gave us reconstruction era, right?
And then Andrew Jackson went
and took that away Democrat president
and then gave us the Jim Crow, right?
And then we had to deal with Jim Crow.
Then once we get outta Jim Crow, we deal
with the crack epidemic, right?
Then they take the man out of our house.
Then we dealt with mass incarceration, right?
And then men who dealt with
marijuana charges, right?
Turn back, turn around.
And now we got dispensaries everywhere.
They continue to play us
and we're going on another 60 years civil rights movement.
It's 1964.
We're going on another 60 years to give them our vote again.
For what? Why?
They are continually, continuously playing us,
especially the black man.
Y'all can't, y'all don't have no say in nothing.
What is the point?
This election is very, very important for black,
black America because right now, the Hispanics,
the L-G-B-T-Q
and the immigrants have taken over the Democratic Party
and we have no say.
So I would talk to y'all family members.
I would have common sense and I will flip Chicago red.
Thank you. Our last speaker is Ana Incap.
Good morning. Um, I know we are here to honor the people.
Thank you so much for putting your life in this work.
Um, I'm not here to complain
or ask, um, tell you the problems
that we have in our communities, stuff like that.
But I am wanna know, can you gimme some tools on how
to help certain things that's happening in our community?
A lot of, uh, seven more than seven, uh,
charter schools are closed
and my daughter is in one of them.
Uh, I wanna know for you to tell me,
what can we do as a community?
'cause I cannot say you take care of it.
You take care of it. No. It's all of us.
All of us together can help each any all the problems
that we have, all the problems we have within
ourselves and stuff like that.
So tell me, what can we do
for these charter schools that are closed?
As a parent that I am to fix the problem.
We have so much problems in our city. I love my city.
I love Chicago. I love what I do.
I love helping our people, our community.
'cause that's what we are. If we learn
what community is about, we learn each one voice, right?
So that's what I'm here for.
I'm here to stand for my daughter.
Uh, I work in a non-profit organization that I love.
I love helping my community
because I know where I came from.
I, I stand here
and I'm honored to be able to have a mic to speak
because our words mean something.
And I'm not here to complain.
I'm here to, for you to give me a tool.
You know, I don't wanna say the black community,
the Hispanic community, no.
'cause we all in here in the same place.
Um, so that's what I'm talking.
I don't have the three minutes to speak up.
Um, 'cause I don't have much.
That's the only thing and concern
that I have is workforce, right?
If workforce, workforce
that we are gonna speak here is closing the schools,
they're not gonna have, they're not gonna have work.
So how are we gonna be able to fix that?
And that's all I have. I appreciate it.
Thank you so much. There being no more speakers.
Um, I would like chairman to recognize
Hi chairman, this is tech support.
There's actually, I would like one more
speaker on Zoom. Excuse me.
It's okay. I'd like to recognize der woman Clay
for the, uh, for the quorum.
Excuse me. Order please. Thank you, sir.
Our first order of business is the approve
of the June 3rd Rule 45 report.
Every member of the committee should have received a copy in
their email as well as a hard copy today.
Can I have a motion to approve the rule 45 report?
All their Quinn. So moves all those in favor of passing.
Uh, the report respond by saying aye.
In, uh, any opposed in the opinion of the chair?
The ayes have it.
Um, we're actually gonna go out of the order of business.
We're gonna take the, um, union contract.
Um, first today we have chief labor negotiator
Cecily Porter here to, uh, talk about the agreement
and answer any questions?
Sicily, you're up.
Good morning, chairman Rodriguez
and committee members, my name is Cecily Porter Adams
and I'm the city's chief labor negotiator from the
city's law department.
And I thank you for the opportunity
to discuss the proposed collective bargaining agreement
between the city and the teamsters.
Local 7 43.
This union represents approximately four public health nurse
threes and four public health nurse fours, all
of whom are in the Department of Public Health.
This agreement, um, has been ratified by the union
and we believe that it is the best deal possible
for the taxpayers of the city of Chicago
and the employees who are part of this union.
The term of the agreement is from July 1st, 2022
to June 30th, 2027,
to be effective upon ratification by the city council.
As I mentioned, the bargaining unit
has already ratified the agreement.
Uh, the wages that we agreed to are consistent with what was
provided for our other civilian unions, which are
as follows, effective July, January, July 1st, 2022,
A 3% increase.
And the same is true for July 1st, 2023.
Effective January 1st, 2024, the wage increase will be
between three and 5% depending on what the CPIU is.
And the same is true for January of 2025
and January of 2026.
January, 2027, there will be a 3.25% increase.
Some other significant terms are effective 30 days
after ratification or January 1st, 2025, whichever is later,
the city will provide a signing bonus
for pandemic pay in the amount of $3,000.
This is what we deal with our other civilian unions.
We will also increase deferred compensation matches
as we deal with our other bargaining unions.
So effective 1 1 24, the city will contribute a dollar 50
for each dollar that the employee contributes up
to a maximum of $750 a year.
And in 2027, we'll contribute a dollar 75 for every dollar
that the employee contribute.
We also extended the pay parental leave policy,
the Juneteenth holiday.
And, uh, one important thing that we did for this union,
this was a big, um, issue for them, is
that we made adjustments to their salary schedule.
So we added another step
after 21 years of service effect
that would become effective.
1 1 20 26.
So that recognizes those
who have been in a bargaining unit and worked for the city.
We also are creating a new title, um,
called a supervising Public Health Nurse.
And that will be effective 1 1 20 25,
which will consolidate these two titles
and provide a pay increase, uh, for those employees
who were in the lower title.
Uh, some of the other things we did was
to move the pay dates to make it consistent
with our workforce, which will help the city, uh, advance,
uh, technology in that area, as well as develop a plan
to move employees to direct deposit.
We also made adjustments to expedite the hiring process
for the s bargaining unit.
Um, we really do, I appreciate the opportunity
to discuss this, and if anyone has any questions,
I'll be glad to answer them. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Porter. Any questions?
Okay, seeing none, I'll entertain a motion
to approve item three on the agenda.
All their Chico sous, all those in favor,
please respond by saying aye.
Any opposed in the impin of the chair? The ayes have it.
I'll report this out at the next city council meeting.
Thank you. Thank you, Sicily.
Our final order of business today
and what we're here, uh, a lot of us are here for today
is agenda item number two,
a resolution designating October 28th
as first responders day in the city of Chicago.
Before moving on, I'd like to ask my staff
to read out the resolution for the public record.
Uh, Catherine John, go right ahead.
A resolution recognizing first responders day,
whereas first responders,
including public works professionals, firefighters,
police officers, emergency medical technicians, 9 1 1,
dispatchers, paramedics, crisis response,
mental health professionals
and other emergency personnel stand on the front lines
of our communities selflessly serving
and protecting the residents of Chicago in times of crisis.
And whereas the year 2024 marks the sixth annual National
First Responders Day sponsored
by the bipartisan resolutions in the US House and Senate.
And whereas the city, the Chicago City Council,
has been informed of this occasion
by the honorable Michael D. Rodriguez Alderman
of the 22nd Ward.
And whereas first responders swiftly
and courageously run toward emergencies,
often putting their bodies
and lives at risk to ensure the safety
and wellbeing of others,
whether a natural disaster is accidents,
medical emergencies, or public health and safety threats.
And whereas Chicago's dedicated first responders provide
rapid response to over 3,500 calls each day.
And whereas it is imperative that the city of Chicago
recognize the great debt owed to our first responders,
not only upon their retirement or after a large event,
but repeatedly and regularly.
Now, therefore, Be it resolved that we, the mayor
and the members of the city council, of the city of Chicago,
hereby declare October 28th, 2024, as first responders day,
recognize and remember the first responders we have lost
and extend our gratitude to all of our first responders
for continuously putting their lives on the line
to make Chicago a better, stronger, and safer city.
And be it further resolved that a suitable copy
of this resolution be prepared
and presented to Superintendent Larry Snelling.
Commissioner Annette Nance Holt, director Jose Todo.
And Commissioner Embo IgE is a sign
of our respect and honor.
Thank you very much for reading out that, um, resolution.
Uh, I wanna acknowledge all the first
responders we have here today.
With us, we have Sergeant Rudy Vargas,
sheriff Christopher Suggs, officer Berto Rosas,
officer Megan Osse, fire Lieutenant Quinton Curtis,
officer Delilah Gori and victim advocate, Liandra Nava.
Let's give them all a round of applause.
Um, yes, please. Who's the other
Sir? Car Officer Carl Pruitt,
CPD.
Another round of applause. Thank you for being here.
Um, Harley.
A a week a day goes
by in this city when we aren't reminded
of the important work of public servants stepping in
to protect us all.
Uh, from the brave members
of the Chicago Fire Department rushing into buildings
to the OEM dispatcher who stays in line
with someone in crisis, to our officers
who are on the front lines every day, uh,
to our victims' advocates
and our outreach workers who are
also on those same front lines.
Uh, I wanna recognize the lifesaving work of our paramedics,
our nurses, uh, particularly today
as we sign a new collective bargaining agreement
with Teamsters Local 7 43.
I also wanna recognize those less talked about responders,
those school counselors
who step in when students' life are at risk,
victim advocate,
or just a neighbor, uh, who helps someone
through the worst times of their lives.
Today, I have brought,
and I'll allow my, uh, committee members also
to talk about those who they've brought.
Uh, I've brought, uh, Liandra Nava, who works at,
in Las Chicago, who's a victim advocate,
a former outreach worker in my community in Little Village
and the 10th District.
Uh, someone who I've known her family my whole life, uh,
who I know who's worked tirelessly day in
and day out, um, responding, um, at a hospital,
responding in a victim's home, um, to offer them some,
um, sort of semblance of support.
I wanna thank you for all the work, uh,
that you do every day in our community.
Um, thank you so very much.
Um, I'll go to, uh, committee members
and I, we'll go from right to left.
Der Curtis, you wanna talk about
the individuals you brought today?
Yes. Um, thank you. Uh, thank you chairman.
Uh, today, I want to thank all of you in the box.
Uh, number one, it's very important that, uh,
we give your flowers to you.
Now, uh, you know, a lot of times,
sorry, uh, you know, uh, what we do is a very thankless job.
Um, and,
and I want to commend all of you, uh, for a job well done.
Es especially jumping in.
Uh, you could have picked any career, uh, in the world,
but you chose, uh, to be a public servant, to
save the lives of other people.
I brought with me today, uh, the least handsome Curtis, uh,
Lieutenant Quinn Curtis,
sitting over there in the box there.
It was great. Just, just, uh, this weekend, uh,
we, we, uh, actually celebrated, uh, well, we,
it was a fundraiser basically for sending, uh,
the black fabricates send, uh, a lot of inner city kids,
uh, over, we are over 500 now, 800,
800 has, has went through the program since 2018,
free of charge to be EMTs and paramedics,
and also police officers.
So I want to say thank you for your vision.
Uh, I think he's trying to retire on us at the end
of this year, but, uh, I was hoping to fight that,
but I don't think I, I could do it.
So, but I want to thank you so much for the vision
that you had and saving other children.
Uh, and I know, uh, during the retirement,
you're gonna keep on doing just that.
Uh, also, uh, I brought today, uh, Dalia go.
She's my God sister.
Uh, we started off in law enforcement together
in the great village of Maywood.
Um, ooh, we way back in the way early nineties.
And then she found her way to Chicago
and went to work in one
of the most challenging neighborhoods and the city.
Uh, she created so much, uh, when she was with caps, uh,
father daughter dance, 10 years with Universal Soul Circus,
making sure a lot of people that couldn't pay
to get into Universal Circus.
She made sure that they got tickets to go, um,
uh, senior citizen prom.
She's just been doing so much that they decided
to recruit her, I mean, yeah, to recruit her
and to recruitment to help others along their way,
along, even with her daughter.
So, again, kudos to you,
Alderman Chico.
Thank you, chair. Um,
I first wanna thank everybody in the box, like my colleague
and I wanna talk about a little bit about our families
and the sacrifices they go through.
So you could do your job. I know what you guys do every day.
It's a lot of work and a lot of giving of yourself.
But the same goes true for each of our families back home.
So please take our regards to them
because the sacrifices they make to are just as important.
Um, as you embark on on your career.
I am fortunate enough to bring
two police officers from the fourth district.
I also consider friends of mine, officer Rosas
and Officer O'Shaughnessy, uh,
two members from the CAPS department.
And the work they do is,
is truly amazing from helping domestic violence victims
to our youth, to our seniors.
Uh, the partnership they have with my office,
um, is extraordinary.
And they're always there when I call on them.
It's something I truly appreciate and,
and I, and I'm thankful for.
Um, I also wanna give a shout out
to my high school classmate, officer Pruitt, who I've,
I've watched, uh, since high school kind of grow.
And now in this role, I'm, I'm very proud of you
and extremely thankful for the work you do.
So, once again, thank you to everybody in the box
for the sacrifice you make, and,
and I really do appreciate it.
And that graduation was a couple years ago, right?
Uh, alderman Yancy,
Thank you chairman.
Uh, as the son of a police officer, it's an honor to be able
to, you know, sit here
and, you know, welcome all of you here in the box, uh,
for all of your hardworking dedication.
Uh, I also wanna shout out, uh, the officers
who help keep us safe down here at City Hall.
Uh, really appreciate all the work that you all do here.
Uh, I want to honor a couple folks.
I do wanna shout out, uh, everybody's favorite.
Curtis, I think in the back, Quentin Curtis,
for all the work that he is done.
But, uh, I brought a couple folks with me.
One, uh, longtime friend, uh,
deputy Sheriff Christopher Suggs, uh, from the West Side,
now Fifth Ward resident who has dedicated his life
to supporting young people in his role as a deputy sheriff.
And then, uh, south Shore's favorite son, officer Pruitt,
who, uh, now serves in the same community
that he grew up in, uh,
as the district coordinating officer for third district.
And it's just been, uh, he
and his team have been super helpful in helping me navigate,
uh, the work of keeping folks safe in the city of Chicago,
particularly in the Fifth Ward.
And so I'm grateful to be able to honor these, uh,
three black men, uh,
in the box for all the work that they do.
Thank you. Thank you
Alderman Quinn. Thank you, Mr.
Chair. And, and thank you for putting this together.
It's a, it was a great idea,
and I appreciate you taking the leadership on this.
Um, wanted to recognize all
of the first responders in the box.
Um, you, you truly are the backbone of the city of Chicago,
and, and we're, we're grateful for your, your work
and your sacrifices.
Erman Chico had mentioned it's a, it's a family,
it's a family sacrifice as well.
Um, and I know firsthand
that your job in the city isn't just limited
to responding to calls.
Um, you're the same folks
that volunteer at church volunteer as literally coaches.
Um, and so that should be also recognized.
Um, and it's really good to see, um,
my neighbor Rudy Vargas in the box.
Um, and thank you all the women, uh,
Gutierrez for inviting him.
Uh, Rudy, you're the best.
Uh, certainly appreciate you going above
and beyond for our community
and always lending yourself to whatever the cause is.
So, thank you. Uh, we're,
we're grateful for all of your service.
Thank you. Thank you, sir
Allman, Tyler Farrell.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, um, I too want to thank you
for your leadership, um, in bringing this, uh, resolution
before the committee today.
Um, and, and I particularly want to thank First Responders,
um, for your dedication to the city of Chicago.
Um, I, I, I will say this
because I, I've had an opportunity to serve
as a first responder as well.
Um, oftentimes, um, there is not a lot of gratitude.
Um, and oftentimes you feel that, uh, perhaps this council
or perhaps the mayor's office
or perhaps the residents in this city, um, don't understand
and don't appreciate, um, you for the work that you do.
Um, but I say that
although it may not seem that way sometimes, uh,
we certainly appreciate, um, you keeping us safe.
Um, you're responding
and you're continuing to respond, um, to the crisis
that we face as a city, as that we face as individuals.
And I want to thank your families also, um, your spouses,
your children, your parents, um,
because I know it takes a toll on a toll on them as well.
Um, we don't give you enough credit.
Um, and this should not be just first responders day, um,
but it should be re first responders every day.
Um, because what you do should be recognized every day.
Uh, for those of you that were in the council, um, in 2015,
we saw a monthly recognition, um, of police officers
and firemen every single month,
recognizing the great work that they've done.
And, and we don't see that anymore.
And then we wonder why our first responders
don't feel appreciated.
Um, and we need to bring that back.
And so, chairman, that's why I thank you for your
leadership on this,
because if we can't put the folks
that sacrifice their lives every day,
and we can only recognize them when they've lost their
lives, um, that's shame on us.
Um, we need to recognize you, um, for the great sacrifices
that you make every single month.
And to me, um,
I don't really care if it takes another 20
or 30 minutes of city council, um,
because when you truly appreciate something,
you take the time to let them know.
Um, and so we should get back to making sure
that we are recognizing those
heroes in our city every single month.
And I hope that we do, and I'll make
that request of our mayor.
But I want to thank you so much for all that you do.
And I, I did bring an officer with me today, um,
officer Peter Chico.
That's my, that, that's,
that's my little bit of humor that I have.
But I, I, I, I wanna say this very seriously though.
Um, Peter served the city of the city of Chicago
and as a police officer,
and he's doing this
as a city councilman now, and it's not easy.
And he could tell you, you know,
when I went from the police department to city council, um,
I thought it would be an easy transition, but it is not.
Um, because you see something a little different.
You see things from a more of a legislative perspective,
and you would think, and, uh, that
you would think everyone in this council, uh,
would certainly appreciate our first responders.
And I believe that they do. But sometime politics get in the
way of us being able to show our appreciation and,
and, um, that shouldn't be the case.
Um, so I won't belabor the point,
or I won't belabor any, um,
celebrations As we celebrate today, our first responders,
um, take care of yourselves, take care of your families.
And oftentimes I know that, that that hardships that you go
through emotionally, physically, it's so easy
to take those home with you.
Um, and it's so easy to let those things impact your family,
but do your best to not allow them to, um,
impact your families and,
and take advantage of what you've built at home.
Um, so I thank you for your service.
And, and if there's ever a need, um,
to seek mental health treatment
because of the things that you experience,
take the time out to do that as well.
Uh, take the time to pray.
If you pray, uh, take the time to be with your family.
Take a day off to be with your family. It works.
It definitely works. So God bless you all,
and I hope that you have a safe tour of duty
and a safe journey for the rest of your career.
And q, thank you so much for educating
and teaching our youth that it's okay to be a first respond.
It's okay to care about others enough to
serve in this capacity.
Thanks a lot. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And, uh, batting cleanup for the Workforce committee,
vice Chair Gutierrez.
Good morning, everyone.
I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude
to all of the first responders in the city of Chicago.
Every single day you put your lives on the line
to keep our community safe.
Your bravery and dedication do not go unnoticed,
and we are endlessly grateful for your service.
I also want to give a special thank you
to Sergeant Rudy Vargas from the eighth District.
He has always been ready
and willing to help with anything
that arises in the 14th ward.
His commitment to our community in his approachable
friendly demeanor makes him exactly the kind
of person you hope to see when you call for help.
He's a true asset to the ward, and we're lucky to have him.
Thank you again to all the first responders
and to Sergeant Vargas for your unwavering dedication.
We appreciate you more than worse, can express. Thank you.
Um, so with that said, I, uh, would like, uh, vice Chair
Gutierrez moves that we pass this resolution
by a standing clapping ovation.
I
think that's good, right?
Lawyers. Um, so with that said,
if you wouldn't mind joining us
for a picture after we adjourn.
Just a moment here. Um, alder,
uh, Ali Faroh, uh, moves to adjourn.
Uh, all those in favor signify by saying aye.
Any opposed, any opinion, chair of the aye, have it,
with there being no further business, um, I hereby
call this meeting to adjournment.
Thank you.