Update 3:45 pm – The Illinois House has adjourned until 10 Wednesday morning without taking a vote on the Senate Bill 1673, a proposal that would cut retirement benefits for active and retired employees. There was no floor vote on the pension bill following his morning’s approval by the House pensions Committee (see below).
The Illinois House Pensions Committee this morning passed and sent to the full House Senate Bill 1673, a bill that would cut pension benefits for active employees in most state pension systems including TRS and SURS and those who are already retired from those systems. (read the bill’s key language)
House committee vote on SB1673:
Yes: Madigan, Biss, Burke, Winters, Nekritz, May
No: Morrison, Poe, Senger
Among other things SB1673:
- Forces active employees who do not agree to a reduced cola to lose access to lose access to retire health insurance upon retirement. In addition, the amount of salary on which their pension is based would be capped.
- Does not include the guaranteed pension funding language that the labor coalition has asked for in order to consider other pension changes.
- Reduces retiree benefits by offering a choice between either keeping the current COLA benefit but losing access to health insurance, or, agreeing to a reduced COLA while retaining access to insurance.
- Calls for local districts to take over system payments currently made by the state (phased in)
- Changes the balance on the TRS board by adding four new seats for members of local school boards
- Bars districts from bargaining the impact of any changes made by this law
It’s imperative that every IEA member pick up the phone and call his/her representative and senator. To be connected to your legislator call:
888-412-6570
PLEASE SHARE THIS NUMBER WITH IEA MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
Download the new pension fact sheet Use it during your call to your legislators.
Lawmakers must be told:
- They must support only constitutional solutions that are agreed to by IEA and the other employee unions.
- They cannot let the pension problem be fixed solely on the backs of teachers, higher education faculty and other public employees.
- They must oppose any “fast track” attempts to ram through solutions.
Legislators must hear these messages directly from IEA members. Make the call now.
“It is crucial that the legislators hear the actual voices of their constituents – our members,” said IEA President Cinda Klickna. “We’ve sent thousands of emails, but now we need to move to the next level. That means getting on the phone and talking directly to lawmakers.“
Illinois Education Association is an association of more than 130,000 members composed of Illinois elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, retired educators and college students preparing to become teachers.
When Michael Madigan, cuts his Cola-and Health care, I would be first in line to do the same.
Now Madigan, whats your answer?
I believe it is time to makes some changes in our legislature. These people are totally out of touch with the people. We need to establish term limits, with no grandfather clause, and do away with retirement and health care benefits for these people who only work part time. If we cannot get reasonable benefits promised to us under the constitution, working full time and paying into both pensions and insurance, then they deserve nothing for working part time.
Maybe with term limits, we will be able to have some people who put thpeople of Illinois first, and not their own agenda
It’s so clear why Madigan and his “boys” waited till schools were closed or close to closing to propose this bill. Hoping the “lambs” could be lead to slaughter without time to act. Please people ask friends, family, and former students to call. Yesterday, in a few short hours forty people called for me. UNITE people! Let’s show the State we can put muscle to the principles we taught.
I have yet see to the legislators give up anything. ARE THEY READY. TO GIVE UP COLA OR HEALTH CARE?
When I started teaching 25 years ago, I agreed to pay My share, it is time the state pays its share. When I was told I needed to pay additional money to make all my years equal, I did.
I have done my part it is time for the state to do its part.
Can we get a fact sheet on this bill with everything in it? Last week the talk was that part of the reform bill would be prohibiting school districts to pay the employee’s portion of the TRS.
So those that negotiated that would lose that. That is around 10% cut, that we would never get back when we negotiate. It would be nice to know these things so we can educate all our members, and when we are emailing and phoning our reps we could tell them the parts that we don’t like.
Fact sheet is posted.
They need to look at other places to cut rather than cutting the pension of people who have worked for so many years to earn it. I would rather see them put stricter restrictions on welfare and make people who are able to work actually work.
We help our youth grow into well rounded citizens, yet teachers are going to be penalized. I work countless hour before, during, and after school to help all my students succeed. What message is the government sending our youth?…
One of the reasons the State of Illinois is unable to meet its pension obligations to its teachers is because State leadership looked out for itself first: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/pensions/ct-met-pensions-legislators-20120525,0,7309082.story Yet I have heard nothing about what THEY are willing to give up to solve the pension problem. Have you? This problem begins at the State House not in the teacher’s lounge, and we should insist they take the first cut. Then they can talk to us
about “shared sacrifice”.
Thank you to those of you who have called already! Keep calling! Get a friend, family member and another colleague to call as well! We are the IEA! We can stop this madness!!
If this bill is defeated now, what then? Will IEA negotiate away rights like they have admitted they tried to do? What will the bill look like next year? The funding issue will not be resolved even if it is placed in the bill; the state can simply change the law later as they have countless times before. The ONLY resolution to this is the courts. It was the only outcome from the start. It will be messy, it will be costly, and there is no guarantee of victory, but at least we will be done with the annual crisis.
I retired from the classroom in 2009. In making my decision to retire when I did, the COLA was factored in to my decision. Now our legislators are looking to either give we retirees a reduced COLA so we can keep health insurance, or keep the COLA at it’s present state but with no health insurance. I wonder if our legislators have considered the long term affect this will have on our education system. My son has a semester of student teaching and he will have his degree. I have talked to him about considering seeking employment in another state. How many thousands of upcoming and current teachers will our state lose to other states as a result of this legislation? It is a shame that our system has gotten to this point. Many who have not worked in education see this as a viable solution. I wonder how many of these people realize the amount of hours a classroom teacher puts in during the school year? I wonder how many of these people are aware of the countless hours teahcers spent taking classes either after a full day of work in the classroom or weeks in the summer to make them the best educators they can possibly be? We, the teachers, have done our share to make education the best it can be. We, the teachers, have paid our share into our retirement system. This pension plan needs to be voted down.
Have tried calling various Illinois Representatives, but when transferred the call is disconnected before a message can be left. Too many calls already? Don’t want to hear from their concerned constituents? Technical problem?
What if teachers taught 3% less to compensate for lower pensions? We would not do that because we care about the children, and the politicians know we would not do anything to slight the kids.
I would like to voice my objection to the proposed SB1673. I worked as an administrative assistant for a school district for 20 years. Springfield passed legislation that sweetened the pensions of retirees. The retirees did not pass the law, the legislature passed the law, but now that their actions have caused a pension deficit, the legislaturers are trying to absolve themseleves of their previous wrong doings. Introduce a moritorium on the 3% increase on pensions for the next five years. Maximum the pensions of all retirees at $125,000. That is more than sufficient. The current teachers should not suffer due to Madigan and his gang that caused this. Also do not give the Senators or Representatives a raise for the next five years. Let them live within their budget. Don’t take money away from the schools and the students.
You may not pass any laws that do not apply to you as well as the rest of the population.
Read the Constitution lately?
My daughter just graduated college. What do I tell her/our friends who are looking for teaching jobs? Move to another state? What will IL do when many of us retire? I am sad. This could be a nightmare for new contracts too.
If they’re smart they would move to a different state. If we were all smart we would move to a different state.
If the following information about pending legislation is true:
It: Forces active employees who do not agree to a reduced cola to lose access to health insurance. In addition, the amount of salary on which their pension is based would be capped.
Does not include the guaranteed pension funding language that the labor coalition has asked for in order to consider other pension changes; Reduces retiree benefits by offering a choice between either keeping the current COLA benefit but losing access to health insurance, or, agreeing to a reduced COLA while retaining access to insurance; Calls for local districts to take over system payments currently made by the state (phased in); Changes the balance on the TRS board by adding four new seats for members of local school boards; and Bars districts from bargaining the impact of any changes made by this law, then PLEASE VOTE AGAINST THIS BILL.
You must: support only constitutional solutions that are agreed to by IEA and the other employee unions. You cannot let the pension problem be fixed solely on the backs of teachers, higher education faculty and other public employees. You must oppose any “fast track” attempts to ram through solutions.
I would like to know what “pension reform” ideas the IEA and IFT would support.
We are public employees in the State of Illinois. We are voters. We are residents. We are property taxpayers. We are income taxpayers. We are consumers. We have paid our fair share into a system that is letting us down. We are not tributes in “The Hunger Games.” But we are fast becoming pawns in a political game to destroy the middle class. We need to take back Illinois from politicians who break promises. We are not only 130,000 union members – we are neighbors, brothers and sisters, daughters and sons, and families that form a bloc of a million.
This pension proposal is unreasonable and unconstitutional. Why should the teachers be soley responsible for the mistakes our State government has been making for years? SB1673 is not a solution, it is only going to add to the problem.
STOP SB1673
If the following information about pending legislation is true:
It: Forces active employees who do not agree to a reduced cola to lose access to health insurance. In addition, the amount of salary on which their pension is based would be capped.
Does not include the guaranteed pension funding language that the labor coalition has asked for in order to consider other pension changes; Reduces retiree benefits by offering a choice between either keeping the current COLA benefit but losing access to health insurance, or, agreeing to a reduced COLA while retaining access to insurance; Calls for local districts to take over system payments currently made by the state (phased in); Changes the balance on the TRS board by adding four new seats for members of local school boards; and Bars districts from bargaining the impact of any changes made by this law, then PLEASE VOTE AGAINST THIS BILL.
You must: support only constitutional solutions that are agreed to by IEA and the other employee unions. You cannot let the pension problem be fixed solely on the backs of teachers, higher education faculty and other public employees. You must oppose any “fast track” attempts to ram through solutions.
This legislation is not the best solution – please keep working for a fair compromise!!
Please do not let the pension problem be fixed solely on the backs of teachers, higher education faculty and other public employees.
We have worked hard for our retirement to let it go.
Thanks
And the alternative would be to fix the pension on the back of the taxpayer? Hmmmm, raise taxes on many so few can benefit. Good luck with that.
The ideal solution would be to fix it on the backs of the legislators that continuously voted for treating our retirement account like an ATM. Since I don’t see that happening anytime soon, the next solution should be spreading the strain to those constituents who voted to keep those legislators in office. The teachers have never missed a payment. Hmmm, I don’t think you would be too happy from paying a minimum of a 34% increase from what you currently pay out of your wages to your social security account just to get the same or even less retirement funding would you? Especially if you did nothing wrong to cause the problem.
The legislators in the state of Illinois have used our pension fund dollars as an interest free credit card to fund programs in the state for decades. Is it not reasonable to ask the taxpayers to fund the services they received? We need a fair tax in this state and no one, Democrat nor Republican has the guts to move in this direction.
afraid like most you do not get whole picture. . . years ago IL Teacher Pensions were given promises and fairly negotiated giving up any entitlment to social security that other states still have . . . so % put in pension is crucial. . . And only plan teachers in IL have. . . and equal to other states after 30 yrs. after 30 yrs I’m hoping not to live on food stamps. please know whole story. thanks.
The taxpayers have been long benefitting from the money the state was taking out of the pension systems to pay for their services. Money coming from our paychecks that was supposed to be invested to keep the system stable. We can pay the blame game or fix it fairly without one group bearing the entire burden. It important for taxpayers to know that our union leaders ARE working for a fair solution because a stable system is in everyone’s best interest.
A congress is not to be “SELF-SERVING”. You cannot compare the civil service employee to manfacturing or industrial employees. I am certain that many of the legislators are commiting political suicide…I know it is true on my vote in the next election where my Senator Kyle McCarter is concerned….at least in this household and in my extended family’s. The fact there is an attempt to ram this legislation through without any negotiation is testimony to this fact. I guess breaking promises is part of union busting, just as it was in Wisconsin.,…now look at the mess they have. It is as if there is no conscience in this government. You need to remember, also, that ASFCME is AFL-CIO affiliated. Teamsters and many rank and file voters are represented by the AFL-CIO…..It is about time each legislator represented his or her district and not the whims of their leaders…Gentlemen you have constituents in the parts of the state you run….you owe your existence to their votes…without that you wouldn’t even be in state government, and be receiving the pension that YOU will receive from having the privilege to serve them.
Wisconsin is messed up? … Have you seen the recent polling numbers? Walker’s lead is increasing in every poll.
They can either reform pensions or let the state go completely broke. Everyone wants a balanced budget as long as it doesn’t affect them. It’s just selfish to blame the current politicians for trying to repair the problem that was created long ago.
We all recognize the need for pension reform. Obviously the current situation cannot continue. We recognize that the reform will negatively affect us — how much is the issue. But sorry, no, it is not selfish to blame the current politicians. They benefit from a much more generous system than we do. Did you read this article? If not you should, then you can decide if you want to give them more money without any changes to their pensions. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/pensions/ct-met-pensions-legislators-20120525,0,7309082.story
What kind of uninformed idiot are you…The pensions were never funded all state employee’s have paid their share while the legislators made promises to every group who would vote for them… We gave up raises, and watched self serving get rich political cronies and business men rape the pension system and then scream it is the lazy public servants who caused the problem. Apparently no one reads history; first it was double dipping even though we paid into social security, then we made to much and now our insurance is breaking them even thought medicare pays most of the bills. Is the late 80′s early 90′s again and unfortunately we will be doomed to suffer again the ridicule of the few who want to manage the pensions systems and use the funds for political reasons…