UCAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ZACK SCHRANTZ: UCAN Residential and TLP Staff Deserve Better As community and elected leaders, we are disappointed to learn that AFSCME- represented employees at UCAN are still without a contract after more than fifteen months of negotiations. Each of us believes that workers should be paid a living wage that can sustain a family. In your negotiations with AFSCME, we strongly urge you to recognize the importance of fair compensation in retaining a dedicated and skilled workforce. Low wages lead to staff turnover, which leads to less stability in the lives of the youth in your care. UCAN staff work diligently under difficult circumstances and they deserve a wage that allows them to meet the basic needs of their families. For more than a year these employees have made a sincere effort to reach a contract settlement that addresses UCAN’s inadequate wage structure. The resistance they’ve met has left many feeling devalued and demoralized. We see this as a choice for UCAN. It is about priorities. We call on UCAN to meaningfully demonstrate that staff who work every day to assist troubled youth are respected and valued by paying them a living wage. SIGNED: Walter Burnett City of Chicago Alderman, Ward 27 Kelly Cassidy IL State Representative, 14th District; Adoption & Child Welfare Committee Dennis Deer Cook County Commissioner, District 2 Jason Ervin City of Chicago Alderman, Ward 28 Brandon Johnson Cook County Commissioner District 1 Stephanie Kifowit IL State Representative, 84th District; Adoption & Child Welfare Committee Emma Mitts City of Chicago Alderman, Ward 37 Robert Peters IL State Senator, 13th District; Human Services Committee Michael Rodriguez City of Chicago Alderman, Ward 22 Michael Scott City of Chicago Alderman, Ward 24 Byron Sigcho-Lopez City of Chicago Alderman, Ward 25 Christopher Taliaferro City of Chicago Alderman, Ward 29 Emanuel Chris Welch IL State Representative, 7th District .