Illinois politicians propose $100B in tax hikes over next 5 years

By Benjamin VanMetre

03/18/2015

The array of six tax-hike proposals adds up to more than the state’s total projected general-fund spending in fiscal years 2016, 2017 and 2018 – combined.

Corruption Watch: January 2015

By Shawn Tonge

02/11/2015

The start of a new year always comes with resolutions for improvement, but only time will tell if they translate into effective action.

TAGS: good government

Government unions bloated with overhead

By David Giuliani

02/09/2015

Illinois’ biggest public-sector unions fail to meet the standard for nonprofits.

TAGS: IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, labor

86% of Illinois state lawmakers received money from major government unions since 2002

By David Giuliani

02/06/2015

House Speaker Mike Madigan received more than $1.1 million since 2002 from the state’s five major public unions.

Unions to bankrupt Chicago pension funds

By Benjamin VanMetre

12/29/2014

A group of Chicago unions, including AFSCME Council 31 and the Chicago Teachers Union, have sued the city over a recent attempt to reform two of the city’s four pension funds.

TAGS: Chicago, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, pensions, unions

Illinois Corruption Watch, October 2014

By Brian Costin

11/01/2014

In October, we found 52 different stories of potential public corruption in Illinois, including a trio of stories related to the election. An Illinois Policy investigation into emails from a group of Kankakee County superintendents revealed potentially illegal activities to pass a countywide sales-tax hike for school facilities. Documents obtained suggest illegal actions by superintendents...

TAGS: good government, waste

Top 10 facts on labor policy in Illinois

10/20/2014

Top 10 facts on labor policy in Illinois Unions are often presented as the plucky defenders of the working man or woman, whose only interest is seeing that workers get a fair shake on the job. But in reality, unions are well financed and powerful. And in government, at least, union influence goes beyond the...

Mayor Emanuel’s minimum wage executive order doesn’t apply to political pals

By Brian Costin

10/11/2014

With great fanfare, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently announced an executive order requiring city contractors and concessionaires to pay their employees no less than $13 per hour. The move was highly touted in both the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune, as well as a number of other publications and television news broadcasts. None of these...

TAGS: Rahm Emanuel, transparency, unions

Illinois court rules state owes AFSCME workers

By Paul Kersey

10/02/2014

On Sept. 31, a panel of judges from an Illinois appellate court found that state employees were owed back pay under the contract between the state and Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME. This has set off celebrations at AFSCME, whose position all along was that the...

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Chicago, labor

Good politics makes bad policy on Emanuel minimum-wage hike

By Jane McEnaney

09/12/2014

On Sept. 3, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed an executive order requiring city contractors to immediately hike wages for the city workers they employ to $13 per hour from the current rate of $11.93 per hour. The current rate is already nearly 45 percent higher than the statewide minimum wage of $8.25 per hour. Illinoisans...

TAGS: Chicago, minimum wage, Rahm Emanuel

Chicago Teachers Union

Illinois politicians propose $100B in tax hikes over next 5 years

Corruption Watch: January 2015

Government unions bloated with overhead

86% of Illinois state lawmakers received money from major government unions since 2002

Unions to bankrupt Chicago pension funds

Illinois Corruption Watch, October 2014

Top 10 facts on labor policy in Illinois

Mayor Emanuel’s minimum wage executive order doesn’t apply to political pals

Illinois court rules state owes AFSCME workers

Good politics makes bad policy on Emanuel minimum-wage hike

Who Lives Below the Poverty Line in Illinois? Family Structure and Education Mark the Highest Risk

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Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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