Illinois government unions celebrate Labor Day with 36,000 fewer members

By Mailee Smith

08/31/2023

Labor Day this year leaves Illinois government unions fewer members to celebrate with. It appears to be the unions’ own fault. Over 36,000 workers have distanced themselves since 2017.

TAGS: government unions

Pritzker signs bill allowing Chicago Public Schools principals to unionize

By Mailee Smith

02/11/2023

Chicago Public Schools principals already make nearly 30% more than their peers in the rest of the state. A newly signed law allows them to unionize and push for even more.

TAGS: government unions

Illinois families spend 3rd-highest in nation on government pensions

By Patrick Andriesen

01/09/2023

The typical career state pensioner earns more in retirement than Illinoisans do working. Households now pay over three times more than they did nearly two decades ago to cover the costs.

TAGS: government unions, Illinois, pensions

Illinois labor board says government unions cannot discriminate against nonmembers

By Mailee Smith

11/30/2022

Illinois government unions wrote the law that gives them a monopoly over all government employees in a unionized workplace. And that means they can’t discriminate against workers who choose not to be members.

TAGS: government unions, ILRB: Illinois Labor Relations Board

Don’t give power over your taxes to some big government union bosses

By Brad Weisenstein

10/27/2022

Illinois voters are faced with a change to the Illinois Constitution that would give government union bosses the power to essentially decide how high taxes should go. That’s not how democracy should work.

TAGS: Amendment 1, government unions

Illinois’ public pension mess shows threat of unchecked government union power

By Joe Tabor

09/14/2022

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.

TAGS: government unions, pensions

9% of Illinois government workers quit unions as more dues spent on politics

By Mailee Smith

08/31/2022

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.

TAGS: government unions

Amendment 1 would drive up cost of government, meaning higher taxes

By Mailee Smith

08/25/2022

Amendment 1 would allow government unions to make demands outside the normal scope of bargaining. Those demands would come at a cost – to taxpayers.

TAGS: Amendment 1, government unions, property taxes

Amendment 1 would give teachers unions more power over students’ health

08/01/2022

The number of students enrolling in Chicago Public Schools continues to fall as teachers’ unions impose COVID-19 policies and infringe on parents’ choices about their childrens’ health and safety. A ballot proposal would make that worse.

TAGS: Amendment 1, Chicago, COVID-19, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, government unions, mask mandate, parenting, public schools, teachers union

Government unions pour $4 million into ads for Amendment 1

By Dylan Sharkey

07/30/2022

Government worker unions are funding advertisements for a constitutional amendment that would guarantee $2,100 average property tax hikes statewide.

TAGS: Amendment 1, government unions

Center for Poverty Solutions: How to better assess poverty in Chicago and America

America’s War on Poverty has been an abject failure. Nearly $12 trillion and 60 years later, official poverty rates remain basically unchanged. While the nation waged a well-intentioned assault on poverty, it inadvertently launched a far more sinister war: on dignity. While attempting to eradicate poverty, America created countless government welfare programs. In doing so,...

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Center for Poverty Solutions: How to better assess poverty in Chicago and America

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Traci Crosby

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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