A government worker union in West Chicago will vote Jan. 26 whether to authorize a strike for District 94's 141 high school teachers. A strike would leave over 2,000 students in the lurch - a tactic not allowed in any of Illinois' neighboring states.

Illinois has enshrined a "right to strike" in state law, effectively giving government worker unions the power to shut down government services to get what they want. The latest example: A teachers' union in West Chicago may go on strike in February to force 22 percent pay raises over the course of the next contract.