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Have you ever seen that commercial where the rats have boom boxes and they’re walking around all dressed up? That’s eventually what’s gonna happen here...

Lou Phillips, business manager of a laborers' union in Chicago, where chronic absenteeism and hiring freezes have caused the city to cut the number of rodent control workers by nearly half.

Lou Phillips, business manager of a laborers' union in Chicago, where chronic absenteeism and hiring freezes have caused the city to cut the number of rodent control workers by nearly half.

Andy Kim is a former GOVERNING staff writer.
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