by Beth Camplain | Jun 27, 2018
What you can do now to keep our unions strong.
What you can do now to keep our unions strong

Today, President Trump’s appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court cast the deciding vote against everyday men and women in the Janus v. AFSCME case. Though not unexpected, it was disappointing to see powerful special interests take precedence over the best interests of hardworking middle-class Americans.
 


Simply put, today’s decision outlaws fair share fees. For more than 40 years, these fees have ensured that employees who choose not to join the union were required to contribute toward the costs of union-provided services that all employees benefit from, including contract bargaining and legal representation. 
 


I want to remind you that Governor Rauner started this well-funded attack right here in Illinois. When a federal court ruled that he did not have standing to bring the case, Rauner and his network found Mark Janus, a state employee who was willing to add his name to the legal challenge so it could proceed.
 


Rauner and his powerful friends have one goal - to eliminate unions. Why? Because our unions are one of the last checks on their control. If unions are weakened, corporate bottom lines would grow while protections like health care benefits, safe workplaces, and small class sizes that we’ve fought so hard for could be eroded over time. But through our collective voice and solidarity, we have the power to fight for equal opportunity for all, not just the privileged few.


We’ve been preparing for today’s decision, and we’re ready to do more than survive – WE WILL THRIVE. But each of us must do our part.

1. Be on the lookout for slick mailers, phone calls, and even home visits from anti-union groups like the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) or “My Pay My Say,” who will try to get you and your colleagues to quit the union. These groups are funded by ultra-conservative, wealthy benefactors who are only concerned about their bottom line, not our members, students, or communities.
   
   
2. If you haven’t signed a new union card recently, do it online now. Reaffirm that you will stand with your colleagues to protect your voice and workplace rights!
   
   
3. Tell your friends why you’re sticking with the union. Post about why you are #IFTstrong on social media. Click here to tweet your support and here to post to Facebook. You can also share a Solidarity Selfie! Just click on the image below and print out the sign, then take a picture of yourself with it to post to your social media accounts.
   
   
4. Commit to defeating Bruce Rauner on November 6. From his two-year budget impasse that devastated higher education and held public schools hostage, to the backdoor private school voucher scheme he forced into new funding legislation, to his campaign against workers’ rights, Governor Rauner has failed Illinois. His priorities are clear.

And so are ours.  We value our voice. We value our union. And we will fight to protect it - and each other. 

Take a moment right now to consider what you will do.  

Whether it’s joining your local’s bargaining team to ensure a fair contract, spearheading a union-community partnership to advocate for safe schools, or having one-on-one conversations with colleagues about the importance of sticking with the union, WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER. To those who want to attack our rights and rig the economy further against working people, we say this: we’re ready to fight powerfully for the future we all deserve.    

I know we will succeed. As always, thank you for all that you do. 

In solidarity,
 
Dan Montgomery,
IFT President

In early June, three changes to the Illinois Pension Code that affect some TRS members were signed into law:

• A reduction in the “threshold” affecting employer contributions on year-to-year salary increases for a TRS member from 6 percent to 3 percent, if the pay hikes would factor into the calculation of a member’s initial pension.
  
• A new law requires TRS to offer all eligible inactive members a chance for a one-time, irrevocable “accelerated pension benefit payment” in return for giving up any future claim to a TRS benefit.
• A new law requires TRS to offer all retiring Tier 1 members a chance for a one-time, irrevocable change in the automatic annual increase to their TRS pensions, along with an “accelerated pension benefit payment.”

Implementation of these new laws will take time. The statute says TRS must implement the law “as soon as practical,” and is in the process of developing the IT systems and protocols necessary to administer these acts.
We cannot answer all questions at this time regarding any effect these laws will have on any member’s TRS benefits.

Here’s what we know: READ MORE . . .