Pensions put Illinois’ 2024 budget in red by over $4B

By Bryce Hill

05/27/2023

Illinois state lawmakers shorted pensions by $4.1 billion and killed scholarships for low-income students, but gave themselves pay raises and a new office building. Their budget leaves no room for error as revenue projections drop.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, budget, pensions

Former AFSCME boss admits to embezzling $200,000 in union dues

By Patrick Andriesen

04/14/2023

A former Alton labor union president pleaded guilty to transporting thousands of dollars in stolen member dues across state lines to gamble and pay for personal expenses.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees

Nearly 1 in 5 leave Illinois government union since getting a choice

By Mailee Smith

04/13/2023

AFSCME Council 31’s own federal reports show 18.5% of workers have chosen to break away since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME. It could be because less than 21% of the union’s spending is on representing its members.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees

AFSCME puts $100K into campaign guaranteeing $2,100 property tax hike

By Mailee Smith

07/07/2022

Illinois’ largest state worker union has a long history of demanding higher taxes. Now AFSCME is funding a state constitutional amendment campaign that will hike property taxes statewide.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Amendment 1, property taxes

AFSCME contract lets Illinois state workers miss 10 days without discipline

05/13/2022

AFSCME union members receive generous salaries and benefits from their state contract, yet union bosses are pushing to enshrine their power in the Illinois Constitution – something no other state has been willing to do.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, contract, government unions

Illinois taxpayers pay nearly 78% of state health insurance

By Dylan Sharkey

02/09/2022

Amendment 1 would stop voters and lawmakers from curbing government unions’ ability to demand more from taxpayers, including platinum health insurance the average Illinoisan doesn’t enjoy.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Illinois, pensions

While Pritzker talks state worker furloughs, New York delays raises

By Mailee Smith

01/14/2021

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker could delay the $313 million in raises state workers have yet to receive, but instead he’s considering taking $75 million from their paychecks and leaving taxpayers without their services.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, deficit, government unions, JB Pritzker

Government unions invested $10M in Madigan, but could that end in 2021?

12/23/2020

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has funded a lot of campaigns – and his legal defense – with money from government unions. Even if unions still back him in the New Year, members have options.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, corruption, government unions, Mike Madigan, SEIU: Service Employees International Union, teachers

Star of misleading ‘fair tax’ ad set to draw $1.1M in pension payments for 1 year of state work

By Brad Weisenstein

10/19/2020

‘Fair tax’ backers funded by Gov. J.B. Pritzker created the illusion of bipartisanship by using a former public employee union staffer who collects a generous taxpayer-funded pension due to a loophole in state law.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, pensions, progressive tax, Vote Yes for Fairness

7 misleading progressive tax claims public unions are telling Illinois members

By Mailee Smith

09/30/2020

Government unions and their PACs have spent more than $1 million pushing the progressive tax on the Nov. 3 ballot – and are using misleading information.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, fair tax, IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, progressive tax, SEIU: Service Employees International Union, Vote Yes for Fair Tax