GENERAL LABORER - DSS

City of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 56,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Chicago is seeking a General Laborer for the Department of Streets & Sanitation. This role entails physical, manual labor across citywide assignments, including sanitation and rodent control tasks, with varied shifts.

Responsibilities include operating a pickup truck to transport tools, loading and unloading refuse, clearing debris, and performing routine grounds and street maintenance under supervision.

Qualifications

• Six months of physical or manual labor experience requiring heavy lifting.
• Completion of the CPS Laborers Training Program may substitute experience.

Responsibilities

• Operate city pickup truck to transport tools and resources to work sites.
• Load and unload garbage, debris, and bulk refuse for disposal.
• Perform street cleaning, barricade setup, and routine maintenance tasks.
• Assist with rodent control, pest abatement, and waste management duties.
• Work across multiple bureaus within the Department of Streets & Sanitation.

Skills

Heavy lifting

Physical stamina

Driver's license

Education

Chicago Public Schools Laborers Training Program

Job description

GENERAL LABORER - DSS

Job Number: 421196

GENERAL LABORER

DEPARTMENT OF STREETS & SANITATION

Bureau of Sanitation

Number of Positions: 33

(additional vacancies per budget approval)

Starting Salary: $27.16

These positions are open to the general public and all current city employees covered under the terms of the City's collective bargaining agreement with LABORERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA LOCAL 1001 (BARGAINING UNIT 54).

Under immediate supervision, performs manual work of a physical nature in the performance of various work operations and is assigned to all bureaus and sections within the Department of Streets and Sanitation, including the Bureau of Rodent Control, Sanitation and Street Operations; and performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Drives a city pick-up truck to transport tools and resources (i.e., port- a-potty) to various work sites for S.W.A.P. (Sheriff's Work Alternative Program)
• Loads refuse carts by pushing/wheeling carts to the back of the refuse truck, positioning carts, and operating a hydraulic lever to lift, dump, and compact the refuse into the truck's hopper
• Cleans areas around refuse carts, shoveling, lifting, and loading loose garbage, debris, and bulk refuse onto the truck's hopper
• Assigned to Loop Operations, lifts and dumps filled garbage bags, replaces bags in street waste baskets, and lifts and dumps street baskets into refuse truck hoppers
• Assigned to the day barricade crew, traveling to various sites to load, set up, take down, and transport barricades
• Lifts and loads garbage bags in wire refuse baskets located on main thoroughfares, lifting and dumping refuse from baskets into truck's hopper and compacting refuse using hydraulic level mechanism
• Removes debris and bulk items to clean vacant lots, viaducts, and homes under court-ordered cleaning, shoveling, sweeping, and picking up garbage and loading onto trucks for removal
• Posts street sweeping and other sanitation signs, carrying cardboard signs and walking assigned geographical areas, tying signs onto trees and fences and/or removing old signs
• Baits rat burrows with rodenticides, carrying buckets of rodenticide pellets and placing them directly into burrows, closing off burrow entrance and re-baiting as needed
• Loads and unloads rodenticides onto work vehicles and performs related laborer tasks
• Removes active wasp hives or insect nests found in trees in city parkways, using poles or riding in a lift basket to required heights to cut down hives and nests and/or apply pesticides
• Baits sewers, lifting sewer covers and lowering block form of rodenticide into sewers
• Removes dead animals from streets, parkways, and private property, lifting and placing animals into required bags and loading and unloading them for transport and proper disposal
• Assembles new refuse carts by snapping on wheels and steel bars on carts
• Loads and unloads carts and delivers to ward offices and residential homes; picks up damaged refuse carts and returns to the warehouse
• Loads and unloads snow fence materials and installs by rolling fence material and attaching to poles using wire and wire cutters
• Cleans and clears vacant lots and viaducts of debris, using shovels, picks, rakes, and brooms to pick up and bag garbage and debris and load onto dump trucks
• Assists with garage demolitions, shoveling, picking up, and loading trucks with debris and materials left after tearing down of structures
• Power washes streets, sidewalks, and viaducts, lifting and using hoses and cleaning solvents to clean designated areas
• Mounts quick hitch plows to refuse trucks, shovels sand to fill sandbags and manually spreads sand; breaks up salt to ensure proper spreading; loads, unloads, and sets up barricades
  • driving a pick-up truck to various sites to sweep, pick up garbage, and clear areas of debris
  • manually clean and remove graffiti using spray solvents
  • spread sand in vehicle accident areas
  • sweep and clean sidewalks and curbs using heavy-duty long-handled dustpans and brooms
  • power wash sidewalks and alleys

NOTE: The list of essential duties is not intended to be inclusive; there may be other duties that are essential to particular positions within the class.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling (up to 75 - 100 lbs.)is required.
• Ability to walk and stand for extended or continuous periods of time.
• Ability to quickly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with one's body, arms, and/or legs.
• Ability to operate applicable hand tools, power tools, and equipment.
• Ability to climb in/out of a refuse truck.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Exposure to outdoor weather conditions
• Exposure to loud noise, fumes, or dust, oily or wet environment
• Exposure to insects and rodents

EQUIPMENT

• Powered and manual cleaning equipment (e.g., lawn mowers, leaf blowers, rakes, brooms, weed wackers/trimmers)

Additional duties may be required for this position.

QUALIFICATIONS

Location: Citywide

Days: varies

Hours: varies

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training, and Experience

Six (6) months of physical or manual laborer-related experience that requires strength for heavy lifting, loading, unloading, bending, and dumping refuse and various other materials, OR successful completion of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Laborers Training Program

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

Depending on job assignments, some positions require a valid State of Illinois driver's license

Selection Requirements

This is a non-interview title and WILL NOT REQUIRE A TEST. Bidders who APPLY CORRECTLY will be selected in seniority order according to the collective bargaining agreement. Non-Bidders who APPLY CORRECTLY will be hired in lottery/random order.

For Information on our employees' benefits, please visit our benefits website at: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure, visit our classifications website: City of Chicago: Classification and Pay Plan

APPLICATION EVALUATION

Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state, and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview or employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience, the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances give preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and are veterans of the Armed Forces and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public Schools (CPS) high school graduates, and refer them to departments for consideration.

These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Job Posting: Oct 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM

Closing Date (Period for Applying) - External: Oct 27, 2026, 4:59:00 AM

BU: 54 | Salary: $27.16 | Pay Basis: Yearly