The Village of Oak Lawn is reportedly set to outsource its 911 emergency dispatch services to a private company, despite strong opposition from the local union representing the dispatchers. This decision, which is expected to take effect on November 26th, has sparked concern among workers and residents alike.
According to a detailed article in the *Oak Lawn Leaf*, the village’s Emergency Communications Center will now be managed by Norcomm Public Safety Communications, based in Leyden Township. The move comes after the village manager, Larry Deetjen, recommended the outsourcing, even though the union, the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, had previously negotiated a contract in 2012 that was meant to protect the jobs of the 20 dispatchers currently employed.
Under the new plan, the four supervisors who are part of the department will remain with the company, but all 20 union dispatchers will be let go. They may have the chance to reapply for their positions at a lower salary, but they would also lose their pensions from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.
Ronald Cicinelli, the union's attorney, claims that the village only contacted the union 38 days after signing the 2012 contract, threatening to outsource the work unless the union agreed to make concessions. According to Cicinelli, the village claimed it faced a “financial crisis†and demanded $369,000 in cost-cutting measures from the union. The remaining shortfall was supposed to be covered by increasing fees for other municipalities served by the 911 center.
The situation escalated when the village informed the union that its entire $3.8 million budget would be exhausted by July. The union argues that much of this financial strain can be traced to excessive overtime costs caused by newly hired supervisors and the failure to replace three dispatchers who had left the department.
In a letter from Violetto, the union’s representative, it was revealed that the three former dispatchers were reclassified as “team leaders†to avoid counting them toward the required staffing levels. However, the union now questions the need for three administrative staff to support the director, arguing that returning these individuals to the dispatch roles could save the village over $150,000 annually.
Kathy Hansen, the Emergency Communications Director, cited declining revenue due to the shift from landlines to cell phones as a major factor in the financial struggles. With 70% of phone usage now coming from mobile devices, the village only collects telecommunications taxes from landline users. Last year, the village received over $1 million from this tax, and if the federal government extends the surcharge, the revenue could jump to $2.3 million.
Despite this potential solution, the village claims that outsourcing to Norcomm would save them $446,000 per year for the next two years.
This decision has raised many questions about transparency, fairness, and the long-term impact on public safety in Oak Lawn.
Thanks, Dan.
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