ILL-inois: Unionized guards calling in sick on Mother's Day forces Cook County jail lockdown

Well, they did it for mom.

But when you take a job such as a jail guard, a police officer, a nurse, a firefighter, and a whole bunch more--sometimes you have to work on days such as Mother's Day. A good mother understands.

From CBS Chicago:

A lockdown was lifted at Cook County jail on Monday, a day after a huge wave of sick day call-ins on Mother;s Day, and Sheriff Tom Dart said he's trying to determine if any of those who missed work should be disciplined.

Dart’s office said 424 corrections officers and supervisors – more than 20 percent of the jail staff scheduled to work on Sunday – called in sick over the three shifts covering Mother's Day. That was nearly double the number of sick calls on Monday, when there were 218 employees who took a sick or personal day.

"When they don't show up, obviously we can't just have the inmates go home and say 'Make it back on Monday,'" Dart said.

Cook County correctional officers are members of Local 700 of the Teamsters Union.

Almost exactly a year ago another lockout was forced by guards calling in sick because of a boxing match.

Related post:

Mayweather/Pacquiao fight: Over 600 Cook County Jail guards called in sick over weekend