Labor Committee Meeting – May 12, 2026

The Cook County Labor Committee convened on May 12, 2026, at 16:45 UTC to hear presentations from multiple county agencies on workforce trends, hiring metrics, retention, and demographics, pursuant to proposed resolution 26-1249 requesting a public hearing on the state of labor. The meeting featured updates from the Bureau of Human Resources, Cook County Health, the Assessor’s Office, the Board of Review, the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Cook County Clerk’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, the State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Treasurer’s Office.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the September 17, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously by voice vote (moved by Commissioner Vasquez, seconded by Commissioner Kevin Morrison).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No registered public speakers were present.

Discussion Items

• Bureau of Human Resources (Office Under the President): Chief Felicia Haddocks reported 2,700+ full-time employees, a 14% vacancy rate (423 vacancies), a 60-day recruiting cycle, and an 8.44% turnover rate (below the 18% national public sector benchmark). Average employee tenure is 10 years. The county conducted its first employee engagement survey with 76% participation. The bureau created 37 entry-level associate positions. Commissioner Degnan requested follow-up data on the economic impact of extending maternity/paternity leave to 12 weeks and inquired about increasing the COOP agreement threshold from $250,000 due to rising material costs. Commissioner Vasquez praised changes to the internship process allowing commissioners to directly identify interns.
• Cook County Health: Chief HR Officer Win Burn reported 6,620 employees, a vacancy rate reduced from 26.2% to 19.8% (lowest in data), and a turnover rate of 8.4% (vs. national hospital average of 18.5%). Average tenure is 10 years. The health system has a net gain of 206 employees this fiscal year. Hiring timeline improved to 92 days (89 for nursing). Nick Shields highlighted the Providence Scholarship Fund (106 scholarships awarded in 2025-26, $4 million total), a $5 million Pritzker Traubert Foundation grant for Health Catalyst Chicago (pipeline for medical assistants), and a Google partnership for 500 career certificates. Commissioner Degnan noted the accelerated hiring program reduced reliance on agency staff from 1,400 to below 700. Commissioner Stamps asked about bilingual staff in the Board of Review (to be provided).
• Assessor’s Office: Chief HR Officer Janita Davis reported 273 staff, a diverse workforce, and a hiring timeline reduced from 200 days (under SHACMAN monitoring) to 63 days. The office promotes from within, creating internal vacancies. Turnover is low; exit interviews show departures mainly for higher pay. The office has an award-winning employee engagement committee and flexible hybrid schedules. Commissioner Stamps inquired about flexible schedules and recognition programs.
• Board of Review: Secretary Liliana Scarpita reported a low turnover rate of 4% in 2025, reduced hiring timeline from 32 to 15 days, and a tentative first collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME Local 3696 (scheduled for board consideration on May 14, 2026). The board is investing in professional certifications. Commissioner Stamps requested data on bilingual staff and languages.
• Clerk of the Circuit Court: Chief HR Officer Chad Gearing reported a vacancy rate of 8.6% (to be reduced to 2.8% in 60 days), hiring timeline cut from 45-200 days to 45-60 days, and a turnover rate of 8.8% in 2025 (1.8% in 2026). The office conducted 45,500 training hours in 2025. An internship program saw a 500% increase to 35 interns. Commissioner Stamps asked about standardized testing (basic math, reading comprehension) and work-from-home policy (one day per week for eligible roles).
• Cook County Clerk’s Office: Deputy Chief Jim Gleffey reported a vacancy rate of 13.6% (47 of 344 FTEs), hiring timeline reduced from ~200 days to ~60 days, and low turnover. The office has a diverse workforce (60% female, 40% male). Collaboration with SEIU Local 73 includes internal candidate preference and seasonal election workers. Commissioner Stamps pressed for metrics on job fair effectiveness; the office acknowledged difficulty tracking hires from job fairs but committed to follow up.
• Sheriff’s Office: Executive Director Jason Hernandez reported 5,025 employees, 148 sworn vacancies and 96 civilian vacancies, an average hiring timeline of 73 days (improved from 93 days), and an average tenure of 13.5 years. The office has 15 bargaining units and conducts 20+ job fairs per month. Turnover is driven by retirements, other employment, and job dissatisfaction. Commissioner Stamps expressed frustration over lack of data linking job fairs to actual hires and requested follow-up. Commissioner Vasquez asked about civilian vacancies and turnover reasons. Commissioner Aguilar asked about implicit bias training; the office provides both in-person and online training. Commissioner Stamps also requested diversity data for upper management, which was not fully reflected in the presentation.
• State’s Attorney’s Office: CFO John Horahan reported 1,452 positions with 104 vacancies, hiring timeline of 40-45 days, and a net gain of 40+ employees. Director Hollis Hanover highlighted the 7-11 law clerk program (50 paid interns, 80 unpaid), 96 accepted offers for August 2026, and outreach to HBCUs. Commissioner Stamps asked for specific HBCU hires and ethnic breakdown of interns (to be provided). Commissioner Vasquez requested staffing numbers for the Larue unit.
• Treasurer’s Office: David Burns reported 78 FTEs (including 4 vacancies), a 45-day hiring timeline, low turnover, and a workforce of 58% white, 42% minority, 32% female, 68% male. The office has 36 employees fluent in 13 foreign languages.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 26-1249: The proposed resolution requesting a public hearing on the state of Cook County’s labor was moved by Commissioner Degnan, seconded by Commissioner Miller, and approved by voice vote. The resolution was noted as being deferred, but the vote passed, effectively authorizing the hearing.
• Data Requests: Several commissioners requested follow-up data: economic impact of parental leave changes (HR), bilingual staff counts (Board of Review), job fair effectiveness metrics (Clerk’s Office, Sheriff’s Office), ethnic breakdown of interns (State’s Attorney), and Larue unit staffing (State’s Attorney). The respective offices committed to providing the information.
• Next Steps: The Labor Committee will continue to monitor workforce metrics and may schedule future meetings to review agency reports. The meeting adjourned after the Health and Hospitals Committee recessed and reconvened later.