Illinois government unions give Madigan $10 million reasons to stay together

By Mailee Smith, Abigail Holtzman

08/13/2020

The state’s government unions have heavily funded the election committees run by longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan – who then uses his influence to pass union-friendly bills.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, corruption, Democratic Party, Mike Madigan, unions

Lawmakers seek to place nation’s first job-killing amendment in Illinois Constitution

By Mailee Smith

02/05/2020

A proposal in the Illinois General Assembly would prohibit right-to-work laws in Illinois, making Illinois the only state in the nation to ban the policy in a state constitution.

TAGS: constitutional amendment, economic growth, graduated income tax, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Janus v. AFSCME, job creation, jobs, labor, lawmakers, private sector, progressive income tax, public sector, right to work, Rockford, Springfield, unions

How Illinois unions re-gifted member dues to Madigan for sexual harassment settlement

By Austin Berg

12/19/2019

So who wants to fund a highly unpopular politician’s sexual harassment settlement on behalf of a disgraced political worker under federal investigation? Executives at Illinois’ largest public-sector labor unions.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Alaina Hampton, Christmas, government unions, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Janus v. AFSCME, JB Pritzker, Kevin Quinn, Mike Madigan, PAC: political action committee, SEIU: Service Employees International Union, sexual harrassment, Springfield, unions

AFSCME dues help defend Madigan in sexual harassment lawsuit

By Mailee Smith

12/13/2019

AFSCME gave $71,400 in October to Friends of Michael J. Madigan – the same election committee the Illinois House speaker used to pay legal fees in a sexual harassment lawsuit.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Alaina Hampton, exclusive representation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois State Board of Elections, Mike Madigan, sexual harrassment, Springfield, unions

Ending dues deductions, recovering fees harder for public employees under bill passed by Illinois lawmakers

By Joe Tabor

11/14/2019

SB 1784 would hurt workers trying to stop paying union dues or trying to learn about their options. Union leaders get greater access to them and their personal information.

TAGS: Janus v. AFSCME, Jay Hoffman, labor, unions

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 Union uses students as pawns in political power play

By Austin Berg

10/07/2019

CTU will continue to fight with the mayor over the next two weeks. Whether they actually walk out remains to be seen. But their behavior has already revealed what union power politics is all about – and who pays the price.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, Jesse Sharkey, strike, unions

Nearly 12K Illinois educators have stopped paying a teachers union

By Mailee Smith

10/02/2019

Educators across the state are exercising their rights, with 12,000 fewer public school employees sending dues or fees to teachers unions today than before the Janus v. AFSCME ruling.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, labor, strike, unions

Chicago Teachers Union votes to strike for third time in 7 years

By Mailee Smith

10/01/2019

After rejecting an offer based on the recommendations of a neutral third-party report, Illinois’ largest teachers union voted to walk out on their students as soon as Oct. 7.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, education, Jesse Sharkey, labor, Lori Lightfoot, strike, unions

CTU’s mayoral candidate lost, and now it won’t deal with the winner

By Mailee Smith

09/25/2019

Chicago Teachers Union backed Toni Preckwinkle for mayor of Chicago, donating nearly $300,000 to her campaign in 2019. But Lori Lightfoot won – and now CTU is threatening to go on strike despite being offered a generous deal.

TAGS: contract, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, Lori Lightfoot, strike, Toni Preckwinkle, unions

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

Illinois’ pension crisis has been a growing problem for decades, and its negative effects on state residents are well documented.1 Economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and related government shutdown orders threaten to bring that long-running crisis closer to its breaking point. The state’s five pension systems collectively held nearly $139 billion of debt at...

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Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

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Joanne Troesch

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

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