"We want to sit down with the unions and say, 'How do we figure this out without laying anybody off and without hurting the tax payers?'" said the mayor.
Mayor Daley said 80 percent of the city's operating costs go to employees, most of them unionized. However, the mayor declined to offer specifics on what he wants from union leaders.
Daley added city revenue projections are about $82 million short.
