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Tuesday, March 11, 2014
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Slater-Butala Funeral Home celebrates 125 years Marketplace, A6
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Unions make bid to save GE plant By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – A decision on the future of General Electric’s DeKalb Motors Plant is expected within the next two weeks, a union representative said Monday. Kathy Brown, IUE-CWA Local 1081 president said a bargaining team of six union representatives presented the proposal to DeKalb plant managers Thursday so the managers could relay the proposal to corporate officials. Brown did not want to divulge the specifics of the proposal, but said it met the financial goals set by the company. “They gave us a target price and we met that. Actual-
DeKalb Council nixes TIF district
ly, we beat that,” Brown said. “I’ve been working day and night on this. Now I’m just keeping my fingers crossed.” GE notified workers Jan. 9 that it planned to close the DeKalb facility at 1900 Pleasant St., but gave union representatives 60 days to submit a proposal to keep the plant open. If the plant were to close, 94 people would lose their jobs. GE spokeswoman Kim Freeman told the Daily Chronicle in January that union representatives had to close a 20 percent to 30 percent price gap between motors made in DeKalb and those sold by competitors. Most plant workers are represented by the IUE-CWA Local 1081and the rest by IAM
Local 2068. GE has operated its DeKalb Motors Plant since 1946. Workers at the plant make small motors used in residential clothes dryers. Brown said Monday that GE officials would decide within seven to 10 days. If company officials accept the proposal, it will then be presented to union members for approval, Brown said. A resolution should come within the next two weeks, Brown said. “I know this plant makes a big impact on DeKalb,” said Brown, who has worked there for 30 years. GE is among the top 20 to 25 manufacturers in the county, according to Paul Borek, executive director of the DeKalb County Economic Develop-
ment Corp. Brown said Borek, DeKalb Mayor John Rey and Illinois Manufacturing Extension Office DeKalb Regional Manager Chris Blumhoff were supportive while union representatives drafted the proposal and suggested cost-saving measures. “Our desire is to see the plant stay open and no jobs lost,” Blumhoff said. Almost half of the 94 employees at the plant would be eligible for retirement benefits if it were to close. The remaining workers would be eligible for plant-closing benefits, such as preferential employment placing at other GE operations, severance, tuition reimbursement, and extended insurance benefits.
Shaw Media file photo
The unions representing workers at the General Electric plant at 1900 Pleasant St. in DeKalb have sent a proposal to the company that they hope will keep the plant open.
Veterans, service dogs unite
Vote goes 7-0 against proposal By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Plans for special taxing district to improve South Fourth Street were abandoned Monday during the DeKalb City Council meeting. DeKalb aldermen voted 7-0 to terminate plans for a tax increment financing district on South Fourth Street from Taylor Avenue to Fairlane Avenue. Fifth Ward Alderman Ron Naylor was absent. Terminating the TIF plans came out of recommendation from city staff that the area would be ideal for individual projects, rather than the larger area that the aldermen were considering. Redevelopment in the area will still be explored despite the vote, city staff and aldermen said. “I think maybe the timing isn’t right and we need to focus on specific goals,” 4th Ward Alderman Bob Snow said. “To me, I’m looking at it as postponement, not necessarily killing it permanently.” TIF districts enable municipalities to encourage development in blighted areas by freezing the property tax revenues that local governments receive for as long as 23 years. As the value of the property in the district increases, the increased property tax revenues are diverted to a special account and used for additional improvements. City officials expected to collect $3.6 million in increment revenues, compared to $14 million in proposed projects there. The more than $10 million gap was part of 3rd Ward Alderwoman Kristen Lash’s vote to terminate the plans. “I think without the anchor development coming in
Photos by Monica Maschak - mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Disabled Navy veteran Kevin Finizio (left) talks with student Jennifer Lotus about Zander, a retired Massachusetts State Police K-9, after a presentation given by the students on Save-a-Vet at Barsema Hall on Thursday, March 6, 2014.
NIU project creating magazine to promote Save-A-Vet program By ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Theresa Van Den Eeden is one of 12 Northern Illinois University students gaining real-world experience while telling disabled veterans’ stories for a good cause. Van Den Eeden, a senior marketing major, is helping create a magazine through the College of Business’ Experiential Learning Center to benefit Save-A-Vet, a Lindenhurst-based nonprofit organization that pairs disabled veterans with decommissioned service dogs. NIU students will create a 68page magazine and distribute 15,000 copies around the DeKalb area to raise funds for a Save-A-Vet facility to be built in DeKalb.The effort is still in its early stages, but
NIU officials want Huskie House, a Save-A-Vet facility in DeKalb, to house disabled veterans while they study to earn a degree. “It’s inspiring for me to be able to help out these dogs who never really had a chance and to be able to help veterans,” Van Den Eeden said. NIU chose to help Save-A-Vet in January because the organization is the only one in the nation that saves decommissioned service dogs. Service dogs who retire otherwise have to be euthanized because they are trained to attack or harm people, which makes them dangerous to be adopted by the average person. Danny Scheurer, the founder of Save-A-Vet, was at the university
See VETERANS, page A5
Laky (left), a retired Baltimore County Sheriff K-9, and Zander, a retired Massachusetts State Police K-9, relax with their respective handlers Dave Crawford and Kevin Finizio, both disabled Navy veterans, after a presentation about Save-a-Vet given by Northern Illinois University students Thursday at Barsema Hall.
See COUNCIL, page A5
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