The American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees, AFSCME, which represents city library
workers, is calling on the city to return to a 48-hour operating week for branch libraries. Also, AFSCME wants the city to
rehire more than 100 laid off Chicago Public Library employees.
AFSCME held a “People’s
Library Hours” rally outside three closed neighborhood branches this morning to push for the restoration of hours and jobs.
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Declaring that, “Chicago’s strength is in the diversity of its communities,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel 
A group of Chicagoans plan on caroling at City Hall tomorrow morning, but their song list and message may not evoke feelings of merriment and warmth. In fact, the carolers hope to send a stern message to Mayor Rahm Emanuel about their refusal to accept the closing of half of the city's mental health clinics and privatization of neighborhood health clinics, as outlined in the 2012 city budget. 
If the layoffs outlined in the proposed Chicago budget come to
fruition, labor leaders say they will greatly impact African American,
Latino, and Asian workers who make up 85 percent of the cuts, according
to their analysis. This could be devastating for communities already
struggling with high unemployment rates. 