Chicago City Wire

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot terminated chief city labor negotiator Jim Franczek, who served under four prior mayors, following comments that he made endorsing Paul Vallas for mayor over Brandon Johnson, according to a Chicago Sun-Times article published on Monday.

An attorney by trade, Franczek served as chief city labor negotiator for nearly 40 years under Chicago Mayors Jane Byrne, Harold Washington, Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel. He helped to deliver multiple contracts between Chicago and its police officers, firefighters, public school teachers and building trade unions, according to the article.

In Franczek's interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, he described Vallas as a "dealmaker" who "makes things work", pointing to two four-year teacher contracts that he and Vallas jointly negotiated during the latter's six-year term as Chicago Public Schools CEO from 1995 to 2001.

“Prior to that — from 1968 to 1995 — there were 11 strikes," Franczek said. "There were 20 collective bargaining agreements that were one year or two years. The Chicago Public Schools were literally in a state of uncertainty and fragility. Paul came in, and for eight years with two four-year collective bargaining agreements, provided stability, flexibility, and predictability to the system. And it wasn’t as if the Chicago Teachers Union [leaders] were a bunch of pansies back then."

Franczek also expressed concerns about Johnson's role as a paid organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union and how it may lead to a conflict of interest. He found it “inconceivable, given human nature,” that Johnson, who received $5 million in campaign contributions from the CTU and millions more from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Locals 1 and 73 and SEU Healthcare, won't "feel beholden and an obligation" to both unions.

“He said, ‘I’m gonna resign from the Chicago Teachers Union.’ That’s fine," Franczek said. "But he’s worked his professional career for the Chicago Teachers Union. And I can’t believe that he’s still not gonna bleed CTU."

Neither Franczek nor Lightfoot have commented on the latter's decision to fire the former, with Lightfoot's office stating that "we do not comment on attorney-client relationships".