Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Up against a determined effort (click here) to curtail state employees' retirement benefits, Illinois' unions are staging an all-out campaign to thwart approval of a breakthrough proposal to solve the state's $100 billion pension crisis, specifically targeting a small contingent of moderate Senate Democrats.
The effort includes plans to flood lawmakers' offices with retirees this week as they return to the Capitol beginning Monday, in addition to an ongoing phone campaign aimed at members of both the House and Senate.
On the opposing side, all four Illinois legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn are engaged in an equally feverish campaign to secure support for the $160 billion savings plan, which could be called for a vote Tuesday in a special legislative session. Union leaders say they're focusing on rank-and-file lawmakers after being ignored by state leaders who announced the compromise deal last week....
This kind of stuff is heartbreaking. They were promised and now their promises are being broken. It isn't okay that President Obama broke his promise, but, it is fine if Republican lawmakers break their promises.
This isn't necessary. It is convenient and it proves that unions are nothing when it comes right down to it, so why trust them in the first place and to think they actually pay dues.
My dues as a full member of the union was 1 percent of my earnings. If others chose not to join the union they didn't have to, but, they were required to pay 0.5% (one half of members) of the dues. Why? Because they received all the benefits of the contract. Everyone was equal, union and non-union. There was no arm twisting, either. Members received representation and non-members didn't.
This isn't necessary. It is convenient and it proves that unions are nothing when it comes right down to it, so why trust them in the first place and to think they actually pay dues.
My dues as a full member of the union was 1 percent of my earnings. If others chose not to join the union they didn't have to, but, they were required to pay 0.5% (one half of members) of the dues. Why? Because they received all the benefits of the contract. Everyone was equal, union and non-union. There was no arm twisting, either. Members received representation and non-members didn't.
