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For Union Bus Aide, 11-Day Strike Took A Financial Toll And She's Pleading For Help

CHICAGO (CBS) -- She stood on the picket lines with her union members in October, and now a Chicago bus aide says she's afraid she'll soon be out in the cold, again, because she can't pay her bills.

CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reports she turned to her union for hardship money but still hasn't heard anything.

Members of SEIU Local 73 stood side-by-side with Chicago public school teachers on strike for two weeks.  Union leaders called the contract deals a win.

However, for 25-year SEIU member Yvette Davis, it's been a struggle and she feels like she lost.

"I need something to keep a roof over my head," she said.

Davis is a $19 an hour, part-time bus aide at Chase School.  A total of 11 days of lost pay has left her two months behind on rent for her West Side studio apartment.  She applied for hardship funds from the union in early November, out of desperation.

So far, she has received nothing.

Chrielle Jackson, a member of the SEIU committee overseeing the hardship applications and funds, said the union has received over 1,000 applications.

Checks have been dispersed, for varying amounts, she said. Davis will be getting a check "as soon as possible."

 

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