CHICAGO SKYWAY —Leaving the city this Labor Day? You might want to avoid the tollways.
Skyway toll collectors may strike next week amid stalled contract negotiations, according to a union press release.
An Aug. 31 meeting is scheduled to renew the toll workers' contract, and representatives from Teamsters Local 727 have already started preparing for a walkout if the Skyway Concession Company doesn't spring for better wages and working conditions, the release said.
The company has been operating the Chicago Skyway since 2005 under a 99-year lease worth $1.83 billion.
"This gigantic corporation continues to fill its coffers while its employees struggle to make ends meet," said John Coli Jr., president of Teamsters Local 727, according to the release. "These are not just nameless, faceless employees; these are hardworking people with families who depend on them, and they will accept nothing less than a living wage and adequate health insurance."
Specifically, the union — which says it represents more than nine thousand workers across Chicagoland — is asking the Skyway Concession Company to create more full-time positions for its current employees instead of bringing on new temporary workers.
The union press release warned of "excessive delays" on the Skyway in the event of a strike, possibly stymieing thousands of holiday travel plans.
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