Union fears flood `witch-hunt'

A city union warned Thursday of a "witch-hunt" as it prepared todefend two employees disciplined by Mayor Daley for the allegedbungling that led to the Loop flood disaster.

The American Federation of State, County and MunicipalEmployees (AFSCME) said it intends to fight Daley's attempt to fireGeneral Services employee James McTigue and the 29-day suspensionhanded down against engineering technician James Bolster.

McTigue, whose job was to escort cable companies through thefreight tunnel system, was hospitalized after suffering chest painsWednesday night, hours after being notified of Daley's decision tofire him.

"They're running tests. I don't really know what's wrong. I'mnot a doctor," McTigue said from his hospital bed. He said he plansto contest the firing because "I don't feel I did anything wrong."

A Thursday hearing before the city's Personnel Board waspostponed.

McTigue, who is accused of allowing pictures of the damagedfreight tunnel wall to sit for a week at a local drugstore, refusedto discuss specifics of the city's case against him.

"The first thing I wanted to do when they told me I was firedwas go tell my side of the story," he said.. But I talked to myunion and they advised me not to talk to the media."

AFSCME spokesman Steve Trassman said the union is "trying todetermine whether the facts the city presented against McTigue aretrue or not. . . . We want to make sure this doesn't turn into awitch-hunt and that he's not being made a scapegoat."

Daley has alleged that McTigue was warned about the tunneldamage in late February but waited until March 13 to check it out.The mayor also cited a mysterious handwritten memo from McTigue thatdescribed the problem as urgent. The memo - undated, unaddressed andunsigned - was never sent and was turned over to city investigatorsonly this week.

Trassman contended that Bolster's rights were violated when hewas informed of his suspension on Wednesday. The city says Bolsterwas the first to learn that the Kinzie bridge pilings were notinstalled in the location specified in the contract. They alsocontend that he concurred in an incomplete inspection of the project.

"Under the contract, charges are supposed to be read to him andhe's supposed to be given a chance to respond to the charges,"Trassman said. "That was not done. They were there to impose thediscipline."

Mayoral spokeswoman Carolyn Grisko said that the meetingrequired by the contract was held and that Bolster's unionrepresentative and supervisor were present.

"All union procedures were followed," she said. "He has 72hours to respond, in writing, to the Personnel Board. If he choosesto appeal, that is his forum."

Grisko said the union's fear about a witch-hunt was unfounded.She said the mayor is "moving surgically here to take a careful lookat who not only knew of the situation, but understood the seriousnessof it and had the responsibility to do something about it. . . .He's being very careful and deliberate." Contributing: Charles Nicodemus