Monday, September 03, 2007
Chicago Sun-Times
by STEVE PATTERSON

Amid huge headlines just weeks ago, thousands of non-union Cook County government employees -- led by state's attorneys -- received sizable boosts in salary.

But left behind were hundreds more who fell through the cracks, those paid by grants or in non-union supervisory positions, overlooked by the County Board when it approved raises for others.

This week, the board is expected to approve spending more than $2 million in funds from legal settlements to deliver overdue cost-of-living increases and $1,000 bonuses to public health and safety employees, just as their co-workers received.

"Our original goal was to make sure every lawyer who appears in a courtroom on behalf of the county has equal treatment in pay," Commissioner Larry Suffredin said. "But we had supervisors not covered, people paid through grants, people who are treated as county employees but who got overlooked. This resolution cleans that up."

Ibis Antongiorgi, spokeswoman for Board President Todd Stroger, said he supported spending the funds on raises for all non-union employees after finding a revenue source.

The raises will extend into next year, pending finding additional funds, she said.