The CTA said Monday that the cuts will include layoffs and eliminating vacant positions. Many of the job cuts include senior-level positions, like vice presidents and directors. The cuts will save the CTA about $22 million a year. Last week CTA president Forrest Claypool said the agency faces a $277 million budget shortfall for 2012. Claypool said Monday the agency has "to find ways to do more with less."
CTA officials say they've pared management and the agency has the fewest employeees in its history. The CTA has 25 percent fewers employees than it did a decade ago.
Agency officials also say they're revising sick and vacation policies. That will save about $15 million over six years.
CTA President Forrest Claypool said the cuts include vacancies, vice presidents and other senior management and middle management.
He said the CTA will have its lowest management to employee ratio ever.
Claypool said the agency can't afford to pay union members for excessive absenteeism or for birthdays and anniversaries two and-a-half times their pay if they choose to work those days.
"We pay $25 million a year minimum paying employees to do no work," said CTA President Forrest Claypool. "All we ask is that people be paid for work performed, not for work not performed, like for example the drunk drivers who we pay six months to sit around doing nothing while they go about getting back their licenses. Those kinds of things defy common sense."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
