Chicago City College likely to cut hours for adjunct professors and tutors due to ObamaCare

Here in Chicago it would be rather awkward if a local union were to go out of its way to criticize President Barack Obama or his signature achievement, Obamacare – he’s a Chicagoan after all. But there is at least one area union that is having a little trouble on account of the national health...

Here in Chicago it would be rather awkward if a local union were to go out of its way to criticize President Barack Obama or his signature achievement, Obamacare – he’s a Chicagoan after all. But there is at least one area union that is having a little trouble on account of the national health care law, and one does not have to read too deep between the lines to see that they might want to see some changes made.

Yesterday the Chicago Sun Times reported that adjunct professors and tutors in the Chicago City College system are likely to have their hours either cut or limited to minimize the college’s exposure to Obamacare.

According to the Sun-Times, the City Colleges recently issued a policy forcing employees who serve as both adjunct instructors and tutors to choose one position or the other. The policy was withdrawn although there appears to be some possibility that it will be reinstated. As reported by the Sun-Times: “An employee and union representatives think the effort was meant to keep the employees’ workweek under 30 hours, which would mean they wouldn’t qualify for health-care coverage under the Obama administration’s health-care reform law.”

Adjunct staff at the City College’s seven campuses are represented by the Cook County College Teachers Union, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. According to the Sun-Times, AFT and six other groups that represent teachers “have called upon the Internal Revenue Service to clarify how adjuncts’ hours are calculated so they don’t lose their jobs under the health care law.”

AFT isn’t ready to go as far as some others have, but there’s little doubt that the teachers’ union sees problems with the law – problems that could cost its members their jobs – and, however diplomatically, is lobbying to have them fixed.