For 52 years the Illinois Constitution’s pension protection clause has locked the state into retirement promises it cannot afford. Amendment 1 could do the same for government union demands, handing taxpayers the bill.
A new ad funded by government unions is claiming Amendment 1 would boost wages and the economy without any numbers to back it up or mention of the property tax hikes to come.
“Where does it stop? This amendment opens doors for a windfall of things that should not be covered by the constitution.”
A poll found most nonunion respondents were not interested in joining organized labor, reporting higher levels of job satisfaction and engagement than their union counterparts. One in 4 union members reported being “actively disengaged” at work.
Illinois government unions admit spending very little on representing workers – the core purpose of a union. Maybe that’s why so many government workers are leaving the unions. Now government union bosses want taxpayers to pay for union failures.
An Illinois appellate court cleared the way for Amendment 1 to stay on the Nov. 8 ballot. Regardless of whether the change to the state constitution might violate the U.S. Constitution, the process for putting it on the ballot was valid, justices ruled.
The so-called “Workers’ Rights Amendment” would lead to substantial tax increases for working Illinoisans and small business owners.
Amendment 1 would allow government unions to make demands outside the normal scope of bargaining. Those demands would come at a cost – to taxpayers.
Only $134 of each Chicago Teachers Union member’s dues is actually spent on representing Chicago Public Schools teachers. The rest is spent on other CTU leadership priorities and on the union hierarchy.
Voters decide Nov. 8 whether to pass Amendment 1 – a hidden tax hike that could cost Illinois taxpayers, including fixed-income retirees, their homes and put homeownership farther out of reach for young families.
A new ad falsely claims Amendment 1 will protect nurses’ rights at private children’s hospitals. The same government unions who paid for the ad ended legislation that truly would have helped nurses.
The government union-backed website claims Amendment 1 would put more money in the pockets of working Illinoisans, but the change could only benefit the 7% who are government employees. All families would pay $2,149 more in property taxes.
Many Chicago charter school bargaining agreements are expiring this summer, and the Chicago Teachers Union is positioning itself to grow its power by diminishing charter schools as an alternative for parents and students.
Proponents of Amendment 1 claim other state constitutions include similar language, but that is just wrong. Amendment 1 would cement into the Illinois Constitution government union powers that no other state sees as smart.