Chicago’s 2020 budget proposal was never truly balanced

By Adam Schuster, Bill Reveille

11/26/2019

Faced with the impossible task of balancing Chicago’s budget without pension reform, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is forced to partially rely on phantom cuts and revenues.

TAGS: 2020 Budget Forecast, bonds, budget, budget gap, CAFR: Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Chicago, Chicago City Council, chicago city hall, constitutional amendment, CTA: Chicago Transit Authority, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, deficit, emergency fee, fire pensions, homelessness, housing market, Illinois General Assembly, interest rates, library, Lori Lightfoot, lyft, pension contributions, pension crisis, pension debt, pension obligations, policy pensions, property taxes, public safety pensions, Rahm Emanuel, real estate, real estate transfer tax, surplus, tax hikes, tax increase, TIF: Tax Increment Financing, Uber, vacancies, zero-based budgeting

Chicago student enrollment dropped by 6,000, but union blocks closing schools

By Ben Szalinski

11/22/2019

The new contract continues a moratorium on school closings despite plummeting student enrollment.

TAGS: administration, administrators, Chicago, contract, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, credit rating, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, enrollment, enrollment numbers, funding, funding guarantee, junk credit rating, salary increase, step increase, students, support staff

All Illinois taxpayers on the hook for CTU’s 244-sick-day pension sweetener

By Vincent Caruso

11/14/2019

A provision included in the bargaining agreement reached between Chicago and its teachers union will allow teachers to trade up to 244 unused sick days for pension credits – billable to all Illinois taxpayers.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, sick days, teacher salaries

Chicago teachers no longer can save 40 sick days for retirement: now it’s 244

By Vincent Caruso

11/04/2019

Pension benefits consume 25% of Chicago Public Schools’ budget. The new Chicago Teachers Union contract increases bankable sick days six-fold, increasing pension costs and taking more from classrooms.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, sick days

Striking Chicago teachers have the right to go to work and get paid

By Mailee Smith

10/30/2019

Teachers in Chicago Public Schools who are not union members cannot be punished for going to work during a union strike.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, strike

Chicago teachers recover pension contributions 5 months into retirement

By Adam Schuster

10/29/2019

After retiring at age 55, the average Chicago teacher just takes five months to get back everything they contributed toward their pension during their career.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions

Chicago school worker says she was assaulted for crossing picket line

By Austin Berg

10/27/2019

Yedidah Reuben said two union members attacked her for trying to work.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, labor, unions

Chicago teachers who don’t want to be on strike have options

By Mailee Smith

10/23/2019

The Chicago Teachers Union walked out on strike Oct. 17, but teachers who are not members of the union have more freedom to decide whether to return to their students.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, strike

Chicago Teachers Union on strike for third time in 7 years

By Mailee Smith

10/21/2019

After rejecting an offer based on recommendations of a neutral third-party report, Illinois’ largest teachers’ union walked out on their students Oct. 17.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, property taxes, taxes

CTU is out on strike: 6 things you need to know

By Mailee Smith

10/21/2019

The Chicago Teachers Union went on strike despite an offer that would boost average pay to nearly $100,000. Here’s who is getting hurt and the true costs of the strike.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, Lori Lightfoot, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, strike, taxes, teacher salaries

Power in payments: Illinois can help unbanked residents, save money by adopting best practices in payment methods

Each year, tens of billions of dollars flow through Illinois state government.1 These flows all depend on methods of payment. In deciding on those payment methods, policymakers must consider a number of important factors, including security controls, cost effectiveness, accessibility, speed and allowance for choice. This report shows that by adopting best practices across all...

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Power in payments: Illinois can help unbanked residents, save money by adopting best practices in payment methods

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Ifeoma Nkemdi

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students