Chicago Transit Authority union workers rally today outside the agency’s monthly board meeting. The workers are upset over layoff notices sent out last week. Robert Kelly is the union president for railcar employees. He says the layoffs could boil down to longer wait times for riders.
KELLY: Go stand out there in the city of Chicago--the windy city--when it’s 30 below with the wind chill. Five minutes and you’re not going to be happy. So if you just miss a train, you could be out there waiting 12 minutes now.
Kelly says he hopes the CTA and union leaders can avoid a strike. But he’s started the lengthy process that would make a future strike possible. A CTA spokesperson says nearly 2,000 employees have received letters notifying them of potential layoffs.