INSIDE
SPORTS JCA falls to Montini PAGE 11
NEWS Agriculture, logistics putting Will County on the map PAGE 2
www.jolietbugle.com
Our Community, Our News
NOVEMBER 20, 2013
Vol. 6 No. 12
IT’S on County workers
COMMUNITY
go on strike By Nick Reiher Managing Editor
Joliet loves its beer. The city has a rich and storied history with beer brewing that of which will be put on display during the Joliet Area Historical Museumʼs semi-annual craft beer tasting from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday.
SEE CHEERS • PAGE 3
As storms swirled around them Sunday afternoon,some of Will County’s union employees met in a room above a Joliet social club to practice holding picket signs and map out their strike strategy for the next day. Hours later, a spokesman for AFSCME Local 1028, representing more than 1,000 Will County employees, issued a press release announcing a portion of that strategy for the press: - 7:30 a.m. outside the health department (501 Ella Ave. in Joliet) and Sunny Hill Nursing Home (421 Doris Ave. in Joliet). AFSCME Local 1028 president Dave Delrose will be available for interviews. - 8 a.m. Monday, Nov. 18, outside the courthouse (14 W Jefferson St. in Joliet). - Other sites throughout the day … And Will County officials issued their response Monday morning: “Will County Executive Larry Walsh assured residents that Will County government was open for business and ready to serve their needs despite a strike by the County’s union workforce represented by AFSCME Local 1028,” the press release said.“Executive Walsh and the Will County Board have been working for over 15 months to avert a work stoppage by the union, but could not reach an agreement.” No thanks to the Will County Executive and the Will County Board,AFSCME’s release charged: “More than 1,000 frontline employees of Will County are prepared to strike tomorrow (Monday) morning to achieve a fair union contract,” said their release.“Their union,AFSCME Local 1028, has done everything possible to avert a strike, but county executive Larry Walsh and the county board have refused to compromise. County workers want the same thing every See STRIKE, page 3