Chicago Park District employees vote in favor of a strike

Becky Kliber, of SEIU Local 73, speaks before presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) joins a rally at the Chicago Teachers Union headquarters Tuesday evening, Sept. 24, 2019. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Chicago’s park district workers announced Tuesday evening that they have voted in favor of a strike, putting added pressure on Mayor Lori Lightfoot as she’s already facing looming teachers and school support staff strikes.

More than 94% of the Park District employees represented by SEIU Local 73 voted for a work stoppage, a union official told the crowd at a Chicago Teachers Union labor rally featuring Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt).

Becky Kliber, of SEIU Local 73, speaks before presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) rallies at the Chicago Teachers Union headquarters, Tuesday evening, Sept. 24, 2019.

SEIU Local 73 also represents the more than 7,000 school support staff workers who also have voted in favor of a strike. The CTU, meanwhile, is in the middle of its own vote on whether to enact a work stoppage.

Sean Ortiz, an SEIU member and Park District supervisor at Blackhawk Park, said higher wages — especially for the lowest-paid, part-time employees — have been the biggest issue on the table.

“We definitely need better wages,” Ortiz said. “It’s very expensive to live here in the city of Chicago.”

Ortiz said it’s “perfect timing” for Park District workers to announce their strike vote just as the city’s teachers hold their vote.

“I think it’s very smart timing,” Ortiz said. “It adds kind of leverage for us to fight this battle.”

The mayor’s office couldn’t be reached for comment late Tuesday.