Michigan unions looking for ways around Right to Work
Michigan unions looking for ways around Right to Work
Illinoisans should keep an eye on Michigan, where a new Right-to-Work law has now gone into effect.
Reporter posts footage of CTU school closing rally showing aggressive union behavior
Reporter posts footage of CTU school closing rally showing aggressive union behavior
When Jeremy Segal attempted to approach CTU President Karen Lewis and activist Jesse Jackson to ask about radical groups that were present at the rally, union members and officials blocked the correspondent off and forced him away.
Michigan union officials opt to dump pensions to keep collecting mandatory dues
Michigan union officials opt to dump pensions to keep collecting mandatory dues
For union officials, self-preservation and the desire to avoid accountability to workers trumps their desire to maintain defined benefit pensions; they were willing to dump those pensions to continue mandatory dues.
The battle for Right to Work is a marathon, not a sprint
The battle for Right to Work is a marathon, not a sprint
Labor unions have a virtual lock on Illinois politics. Unionized government delivers services ever-less efficiently in rough proportion to its ever-increasing size.
Citizens deserve a seat in the room — it’s time to require open meetings for collective bargaining
Citizens deserve a seat in the room — it’s time to require open meetings for collective bargaining
On February 28, 2013, Illinois’ largest government union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, which represents nearly 40,000 state employees, completed months of negotiations with state government over a new contract, yet taxpayers were locked out of the bargaining room during all of them. Since that time, taxpayers are still waiting to...
Collective bargaining transparency bill HB 2689 shot down in House Committee
Collective bargaining transparency bill HB 2689 shot down in House Committee
Yesterday a bill that would allow the public to see union contracts and comment on them before they are signed stalled in committee, becoming yet another victim of pressure from union officials who want to keep the public in the dark about the deals they make. The bill actually had both supporters and opponents from...
New details of AFSCME contract emerge, painting a troubling picture of overly generous benefits
New details of AFSCME contract emerge, painting a troubling picture of overly generous benefits
The more you know about the recent contract between the state and Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the less there is to like. While the final contract itself remains out of public view, a description put together by AFSCME for its members reveals troubling details. It appears that...
Under Quinn’s deal with AFSCME, taxpayers still pay 95 percent of retirees’ health insurance costs
Under Quinn’s deal with AFSCME, taxpayers still pay 95 percent of retirees’ health insurance costs
For years, retired state government workers have contributed little or nothing toward the cost of their health insurance premiums. This sweetheart deal costs Illinois taxpayers roughly $1 billion a year, with costs continuing to climb year after year. The state’s unfunded liability for retiree health insurance is more than $54 billion. Lawmakers decided to do...
Will the new AFSCME contract keep letting workers off the hook for missing work?
Will the new AFSCME contract keep letting workers off the hook for missing work?
Imagine a football game where the referees threw flags and called out penalties, but never actually marked off the yardage. That’s exactly how the “Affirmative Attendance Policy” within the previous American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees works: a state worker can blow off work at least 10 times with nothing worse than a...
How a state government employee can get a 30 percent raise in just four years
How a state government employee can get a 30 percent raise in just four years
The convoluted process of figuring out a unionized state government employee’s wages is a prime example of why the collective bargaining process needs more sunshine. While we wait for details on the contract that the state agreed to with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, it’s worth examining how to figure out...
The new AFSCME contract: a deal Illinois can’t afford
The new AFSCME contract: a deal Illinois can’t afford
Gov. Pat Quinn managed to avoid a government worker strike, but that doesn’t spell success. There is still much that remains unknown about the terms of the tentative agreement that Illinois just reached with Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, but the main features that are emerging paint a...
New AFSCME contract?
New AFSCME contract?
Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees announced a few minutes ago that they have reached a tentative agreement with the state of Illinois. As of right now the terms are unknown. While they will leak out to the public slowly, there is no guarantee that the general public will get...
Follow the money: CPS school closings, teacher layoffs mean lost union dues
Follow the money: CPS school closings, teacher layoffs mean lost union dues
After Chicago Public Schools officials gave notice that the district would be closing 54 schools and a total of 61 buildings, Chicago Teachers Union leaders were quick to decry the move, citing concern for students and fear of ruining neighborhoods.
Reckless rhetoric how CTU has become the roadblock to education reform in Chicago
Reckless rhetoric how CTU has become the roadblock to education reform in Chicago
Karen Lewis basically accused the CPS board and Mayor Rahm Emanuel of racism.