Duped: How millions of dollars in AFSCME member dues flow to politics

By Vincent Caruso

02/12/2019

State workers don’t really know much about how AFSCME spent $7.7 million on politics. That’s because records don’t detail and the union’s Illinois chapter obscures how most of the money was used.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Janus v. AFSCME

Union worker representation only 20 percent of AFSCME spending in Illinois

By Vincent Caruso

02/12/2019

Federal financial filings from Illinois’ largest government union show only 20 percent of its spending goes toward representing its members.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Janus v. AFSCME

Worker freedom: More than 3,700 Illinois state workers stopped paying money to a union in 2018

By Vincent Caruso

12/23/2018

Of the more than 3,700 Illinois state workers who stopped sending part of every paycheck to a union, 2,800 stopped sending their money to AFSCME.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, dues, fair share, Janus v. AFSCME, unions

Geneva teachers union strike leaves 5,800 students in the lurch

By Janelle Cammenga

12/05/2018

Six years after last threatening to strike, the teachers union walked the picket line – a collective bargaining tactic not allowed in any of Illinois’ neighboring states.

TAGS: education, IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association, pensions, strike, teacher salaries

Union dues at work: AFSCME gives $1.4 million to Madigan

By Mailee Smith

11/06/2018

State records show AFSCME has funneled at least $1.4 million to Michael Madigan and Madigan-controlled committees in the past five years – including at least $823,200 just this year.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, dues, Mike Madigan, unions

How to make an extra $3 billion, the Illinois way

By Austin Berg

10/25/2018

AFSCME – the largest government worker union in the state – may pull off one of the most insulting waiting games in state history. The payoff? More than $3 billion, courtesy of Illinois taxpayers.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Bruce Rauner, collective bargaining, income tax, state worker pay, taxes

AFSCME funnels union dues to Mike Madigan

By Mailee Smith

09/27/2018

State records show AFSCME Council 31 funnels membership dues into its political action committee, which just gave a record-breaking $767,800 donation to Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, campaign finance, Janus v. AFSCME, Mike Madigan

New Mexico stops deducting unconstitutional union fees from state employees

By Mailee Smith

08/27/2018

The state of New Mexico has taken steps to comply with the Janus v. AFSCME decision by stopping all union dues and fees until members sign new authorizations. Illinois should follow suit.

TAGS: agency fees, fair share, Janus v. AFSCME, New Mexico

Hundreds of educators stop paying money to Chicago Teachers Union following Janus decision

By Mailee Smith

08/23/2018

At least 300 Chicago Public Schools employees have stopped paying fees to the Chicago Teachers Union after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled they could not be forced to pay the union just to keep their jobs.

TAGS: agency, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, fair share, Janus v. AFSCME, labor

New Jersey school district stops deducting unconstitutional union fees from all employees

By Mailee Smith

08/14/2018

One school district in New Jersey has stopped deducting union dues and fees until it has new authorizations from employees to do so – a step in line with what the U.S. Supreme Court demanded of state and local government employers and government unions in Janus v. AFSCME. Illinois governments should follow suit.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, agency fees, fair share, Janus v. AFSCME, labor, New Jersey