Because… Madigan
Thursday, Jul 30, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute essentially says everyone who sides with union workers are tools for and dupes of Speaker Madigan…
Which brings us back to today, and why this fight represents a turning point for Illinois. This budget impasse is different because Madigan does not have a Republican partner; Rauner is a disrupter. Rauner has his hands on the game board and is trying to take it away and replace it with one in which the people come first. Madigan, and his allies in the media and elsewhere, are fighting this with all their collective might.
For Madigan, it is all about keeping his power; for Rauner, it is all about empowering people instead of government.
When you see the news coverage, remember that those who support Madigan are the same ones who benefit from the status quo.
The question for Illinois taxpayers is this: Will you choose Madigan’s status quo of failure, or will you choose a path in which Illinois and its people come first? Choose wisely, and together we can see Illinois rise once again.
People like John can say this until they’re blue in the face. But the plain reality is that as long as this governor insists upon destroying the rights of unionized workers, there ain’t gonna be a deal.
Period.
- walker - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:40 pm:
So it’s really that “Liberal press” that’s the problem, right John?
- D.P.Gumby - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:42 pm:
To say Brucie wants to put people first is like saying the Cannibal wants to put people first…they’re only first so they can be eaten quickly.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:42 pm:
The more Tillman and Rauner and thise against collective bargaining and favor the idea that people make “too much money”…
… the more those supporting Rauner want to make this about the divide, the less of a chance of 71 and 36.
This won’t find 24 House Dems, or 16 Senate Dems.
Nope.
Some just can’t count.
- @MisterJayEm - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:43 pm:
I’m starting to wonder if Rauner and the Superstars™ see that as a feature and not a bug.
– MrJM
- Joe M - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:44 pm:
True, Rauner is all about empowering people - the top 1% of people financially.
- The Colossus of Roads - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:45 pm:
Agree. By the way, aren’t union members, the poor, the disabled, retirees, state workers , etc, people? Do they ever hear themselves talk?
- Ben Franklin - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:47 pm:
Sounds like Tillman has been practicing the subject of Rhetoric intentionally using the fallacy of the False Alternative. I don’t believe any politician or his mouthpiece who says they will choose “the best path for the people.” Ain’t buying it….
- GoldWater Republican - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:48 pm:
destroying the rights of unions like taking away their right to strike, right? oh wait…
- Former Merit Comp Slave - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:49 pm:
Just what I would expect him to say
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:52 pm:
The “status quo of failure” can largely be blamed on the governor’s obstinance to fiscal sanity. The outstanding bills were being paid down, slowly but surely, the pension payments were being made and then The Hammer!
- Obamas Puppy - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:53 pm:
Don’t get high on your own supply John…
- Reality Check - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 1:58 pm:
Question of the Day:
Does John Tillman intend his closing line — “together we can see Illinois rise once again” — as a creepy echo of the Confederate rally cry “The South shall rise again”?
Or is Tillman just that tone-deaf and out of touch?
- Marty Funkhouser - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:04 pm:
“…[F]or Rauner, it is all about empowering people instead of government.”
How does Tillman breathe with Rauner’s, uh, press releases shoved in his mouth? Does John actually believe this stuff?
As Dylan once sang, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” Tillman’s just a better-paid flack whose paycheck comes direct from Rauner, the Koch brothers and the other would-be Illinois plutocrats instead of the taxpayers. The thing that has always cheesed me off about Tillman and the IPI crowd is the fact that they walk around pretending to be sterling and nonpartisan when they’re no better than the paid flacks and lobbyists on whom they like to focus their fire. While they may in fact be true believers, at least people like Lance and ck will admit to serving a master late in the evening at a bar when the day’s business is over.
To accuse the press of being in cahoots with Madigan is really rich. Why does Tillman suppose MJM’s approval ratings have been at the bottom of the ocean for the better part of a decade? No one has been subjected to more negative news coverage — most of it fair — than that guy.
And as if Brucie is doing anything different from before. He’s tilting the game to the people who put him there — himself and Griffin, Zell and the other plutocrats.
- LIberty - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:04 pm:
Rally the base Tillman, the millionaires are getting antsy…
- The Captain - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:05 pm:
BINGO! My winning bingo squares were “Madigan”, “empowering people”, “status quo”, “taxpayers” and “people come first”.
- AnonymousOne - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:05 pm:
It is the epitome of irony that someone like Rauner and those he hangs with believe that (other )people make too much money. How many of us own 9 homes, by the way? Maybe he makes too much money.
- Reality check - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:07 pm:
[This commenter has been banned for life for stealing somebody else’s screen name.]
- JGG - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:08 pm:
Well said Marty!
- Cheswick - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:10 pm:
OMG did Tillman just fall off the turnip truck? Because the rest of us are buckled in and we ain’t buying it.
- AnonymousOne - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:17 pm:
Yes. They all so concerned about some people. Not autistic ones, not elderly, not retirees, not disabled ones and most especially not ones who have unionized. Oh—and ones who work in service to Illinoisans. Can’t think of anyone less concerned about all of the citizens he represents in this state than Rauner and his cronies.
- Triple fat - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:18 pm:
So since Speaker Madigan is protecting the bargaining rights that have been fought over for decades… We are being duped??? Well as a proud Union member I must say, please keep duping me Mr. Speaker as if my livelihood depended on it… Because it does and I thank you for keeping up the fight!
- All the answers - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:20 pm:
John Tillman is paid by Rauner to say whatever Rauner wants. That’s why Rauner funded IPI in the first place. It never was 501c3. In name only.
- burbanite - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:22 pm:
Reality Check are you serious? Like who, the Trib?
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:24 pm:
=== If you were not part of the Republican establishment or patronage army, or if you where not a union member, government worker, trial lawyer or associated with a nonprofit that gets most of its money from government, you were good for only one thing: funding Madigan’s power machine through the taxes you pay. ===
Tillman is serving his role as Rauner shill with gusto. His organization is a sham (Demoralized, the money is on its way for the jar) and he’s a mindless drone. I’m proud of my service to David Shapiro, Pate Philip, Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar and George Ryan - yes, the Republican establishment. The Republican party that was dedicated to governing. I’m angry that Party has been taken over by the right wing extremists and corporate elite. I’m also proud to be a public employee trying to make state government better for the people. Bite me is too mild. So Tillman you can KMA.
- Ambrose Bierce - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:24 pm:
I think Gov. Rauner is an honest man. I think he honestly believes the wealthy should get even wealthier and the less than rich should be content to stay where they are.
- jimk849 - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:26 pm:
You must have to practice that kind of talk in front of a mirror for days, with a liberal supply of Scotch, before you could possibly say this stuff in public. Thanks John I needed a good laugh today
- Reality Check - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:27 pm:
@burbanite - That comment wasn’t me but a troll who has been copying my handle in recent days. Thanks to our host for resolving the problem.
- Jack Stephens - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:31 pm:
Does “Right to Work” give me some Right that does not exist?
For instance, I 1971…..18 year olds were given the Right to Vote.
So since I do not have this Right currently, does it mean it is illegal for me to,work?
Please answer Illinois Policy Insititute,
Thanx,
Jack
- Enviro - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:31 pm:
Rauner may honestly believe that the wealthy should get even wealthier and the less than rich should be content to stay where they are or become poorer.
But that does’t make him an honest man.
- A guy - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:32 pm:
These are unhelpful submissions for consumption by more than your own most rabid followers. The right flank isn’t under attack. Tone it down. We all still have to live together once a disagreement has been agreed upon.
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:34 pm:
This state is in trouble and has been for years. People are sick and tired of hearing about state workers getting annual pay increases when most of Illinois is feeling fortunate to keep their job. Rauner was elected in part to push back against the entitlement state workers have had given them by the Dems.
- @MisterJayEm - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:34 pm:
“Thanks to our host for resolving the problem.”
It’s resolution is appreciated by everyone involved in these conversations.
– MrJM
- cdog - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:36 pm:
“his allies in the media.” That is very revealing.
It is amazing what good journalism, that is based on integrity, discovery of truth, etc. will do to a bunch that would prefer to keep their real actions and motives hidden in the dark.
Let’s all take a moment and remember Ida Turnball. John D. Rockefeller didn’t know what hit him when she got done.
- The Equalizer - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:36 pm:
The check is in the mail, IPI!
- Just saying... - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:40 pm:
The only dupes are the donors that give to IPI. This is another group that is bought and paid for by Rauner and his special interests pals. This group is ineffective and only speaks to the extreme…a non starter for sure!
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:42 pm:
NeverPoliticallyCorrect and never bothering to think beyond the soundbites. Go back to your comic books.
- Jack Stephens - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 2:43 pm:
@never:
Did you know that with the massive expansion of Wealthy Welfare in January that Bruce is pocketing an extra $14,000.000 a week in “Entitlements”?
- Shaking my head - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:07 pm:
@Jack Stephens - “Does “Right to Work” give me some Right that does not exist?”
Yep, you currently don’t have the right to work for the state and local government without paying (off) the union. If unions truly represent their members and do such a good job of protecting their “rights,” then right to work wouldn’t impact their membership numbers (i.e. revenue) cause people will choose to join. Unions don’t like right to work because they know that they don’t represent their members well enough for the vast majority to choose to join. The union leaders, like Madigan, care more about their power and ability to spend other peoples money to benefit them.
- Jack Stephens - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:15 pm:
@shaking:
With respect.
To begin with no one is compelled to take a job. Individuals can decline an offer of employment. So NO ONE is compelled to join a union.
Bruce would love to make this state a “right to work” state.
So if he were to succeed, is this “right to work” giving the individual a Right that they did not previously have. Like when 18 year olds were given the Right to Vote.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:15 pm:
==says everyone who sides with union workers are tools for and dupes of Speaker Madigan==
As usual from IPI.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:15 pm:
- Shaking my head -,
Do you think Union workers make too much money, abd that’s why other people can’t find work?
- walker - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:17 pm:
Thanks Rich for ejecting fake Reality check. He had my cognitive dissonance erupting. Trolls are bad enough, but body snatchers now?
Same is lately true with Anonymous, but that might be unfixable.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:19 pm:
Ida Turnball? What about Rutan? Better yet, Shackman. Wasn’t Rauner supposed to invite him into the Gov. office? Wait, the public is more concerned about “finding out his mental processes” on a FOIA denial on Rauner’s daily schedule. I think mental health professionals out there would like to know a person’s “mental processes”. My alarm clock went off, I hit the snooze button, but had to get out of bed to get to work there is one mental process.
- Shaking my head - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:20 pm:
@Jack - The fact that people can choose not to work for the gov’t doesn’t justify forcing someone to pay a third party just to get and keep a job. Especially when that money is used to support agendas that they might agree with.
- Shaking my head - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:21 pm:
*might not agree with
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:22 pm:
=Yep, you currently don’t have the right to work for the state and local government without paying (off) the union.=
I worked for the state for 16 years. I never belonged to the union, nor did anyone in my office.
- Shaking my head - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:24 pm:
@ Willy - I think public unions would rather have less workers with greater benefits than more workers with less benefits. I also think the state and local pension systems are a problem. I work for the federal gov’t, which is right to work btw, and they went away from massive pensions in the 80s. I think the state and local gov’t should do the same.
- Shaking my head - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:26 pm:
@anonymous - fair enough. My statement applies to any unionized gov’t dept.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:27 pm:
Shaking my head:
That’s fine for new employees. But the pensions are what they are for existing employees. If we can get people to focus on changing things for new workers rather than change things that can’t be changed we’d all be better off.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:28 pm:
- Shaking my head -,
No, I ask you.
Do you think Union workers make too much money, abd that’s why other people can’t find work?
- AnonymousOne - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:29 pm:
I would think that anyone who has an ideological problem with unions would not take a union job. And my snarky, obnoxious comment above (apologies) came from all this judgmental talk about who is making too much money. I say that when every worker, in every job, public or private has their total compensation package posted publicly for all to debate I think a lot of this talk will suddenly disappear. But, more importantly, middle class workers are picking each other apart while people of the IPI and Civic Committee are counting their pennies, laughing. Why doesn’t anyone get this?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:31 pm:
- Shaking my head -,
Have you read the Illinois Constitution? The latest ruling on pensions? How the Illinois Supreme Court voted in those rulings?
- Jack Stephens - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:33 pm:
@shaking:
Repeating……an individual has the Right to decline an offer of employment. No one is forced to accept a job. Period and end of story.
- Concerned - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:34 pm:
Shaking–have you ever heard of free riding? You might want to use the google machine on that concept.
- Sue - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:37 pm:
Rich- at some point even you will have to recognize that the status quo cannot continue- the State is in dire need of something to enhance the employment environment- other states are doing much better in terms of growth, infrastructure, unemployment , wage growth etc. Rauner was elected to attempt to improve the state’s situation- if he fails he is a one term governor but the environment will be worse if Madigan gets his way
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:40 pm:
==Rich- at some point even you will have to recognize that the status quo cannot continue==
Umm, he’s said that. Many times.
==Rauner was elected to attempt to improve the state’s situation==
I would argue he was elected because he wasn’t Pat Quinn, but that’s neither here nor there. The reality is your argument doesn’t mean squat because guess what, he still has to work with the Democratic General Assembly. He isn’t going to get what he wants. Accept it. Figure out a way to work within the parameters you have to get some of what you want. The sooner everyone accepts that the better off we’ll all be.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:43 pm:
- Sue -
It’s 71 and 36.
The rest is wasting everyone’s time in the governing.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:43 pm:
Sue:
Adding . . .
Rich is also absolutely right. The Governor isn’t going to get any of his anti-union agenda passed. Period. End of story. Why continue to spend time on something that has zero chance of happening. Wouldn’t that time be better spent on looking for things that can happen?
- Jack Stephens - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:45 pm:
Sue,
Minnesota just dramatically cut their Welfare for the Wealthy Entitlement Program and their state is growing compared to “Scott up north”.
Meanwhile, up in Packerland they expanded the same program! In fact they just handed the Milwaukee Bucks $250,000,000.00 in Welfare and is NOT requiring the recipients to be drug tested. But if you get $200 in “food stamps” they want to make it so that you do have to be drug tested. Uh-maxing.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:47 pm:
The idea that the only way to rise the average person up is to tear someone else down is an unethical and immoral idea.
If this is your belief than the last place you should work is in government.
- CrazyHorse - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:48 pm:
==Especially when that money is used to support agendas that they might agree with.==
That’s a slippery slope. Where do I shop? Can I even drive anymore? I’d probably have to own a farm, my own oil refinery, and build all of my own products in order to only give money to people whose agendas I support in their entirety.
- Concerned - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:48 pm:
Sue–there is significant and genuine disagreement that gutting employee’s rights will drive economic growth.
To be sure, it may drive profits higher, but that is at the expense of workers who then have less to spend. Which means the places the workers spend their money will have less revenue. And so on and so forth.
There are studies that show a dollar in the hands of someone in the 99% will get fully spent, spurring more economic activity, while a dollar in a One-Percenter’s hand will engender less economic activity–they don’t spend it all because they don’t have to (unless you count stashing money in the Cayman Islands to be economic activity that benefits Illinois).
- burbanite - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:49 pm:
“Fair share means a fee paid to the union by members of a bargaining unit who have not joined that union for services and benefits that the union has negotiated for all members of the bargaining unit.” U.S. Legal
- Langhorne - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:55 pm:
Hyperbole
This is what you expect to read just before the request for money to carry on the cause. All drama. No mention of actual issues and implications.
June 36/71
July 36/71
August
September
And so on
- morty - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 3:57 pm:
John Tillman as Sterling Archer
Sterling Tillman: Woodhouse/union member, what are you doing?
Woodhouse/union member: Sitting down, sir.
Sterling Tillman: What, at the table? Like people?
Malory Tillman: Sterling.
Sterling Tillman: What? Look! He thinks he’s people.
- Concerned - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:00 pm:
I love me some Archer!
- morty - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:02 pm:
“Rich- at some point even you will have to recognize that the status quo cannot continue”
“even you…”
condescend much?
- Enviro - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:07 pm:
“Rich- at some point even you will have to recognize that the status quo cannot continue”
Sue: Anyone should be able to see that Rich runs a fair and balanced political blog, even you.
- morty - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:09 pm:
“@ Willy - I think public unions would rather have less workers with greater benefits than more workers with less benefits. ”
No. I’m a union thug, I guess, but logically that makes no sense…dues are collected from all members equally…the more workers in a bargaining unit, the more dues will be collected
- Shaking my head - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:13 pm:
@ Willy - Yes, the state and local gov’ts employ less people because of high compensation costs. If the state or municipality cannot afford to pay the compensation expenses, than yes, the labor force is overpaid. You have to fix that fundamental problem. The union would rather see the gov’t go bankrupt than lower compensation costs.
- Shaking my head - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:15 pm:
@morty - doesn’t make sense to me either but that is how the unions operate. Look at CPS.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:18 pm:
- Shaking my head -
Like 10% less? Maybe 5% less… but “less”, right?
- Nickname #2 - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:20 pm:
-=For Madigan, it is all about keeping his power; for Rauner, it is all about empowering people instead of government. -=
This statement displays the primary goal. This isn’t a matter of saving the state money, it is about disrupting and damaging a real/perceived political enemy.
Corporate financing of GOP campaigns vs. union financing of DEM campaigns.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:29 pm:
@Shaking my head
That’s one big assumption you are making. So if people at the top are making a few million dollars they should be able to pay more right? Look at ALEC, then take a look at AEI, Enron, etc. What I have a problem with is corporate welfare. You never hear CEO’s having to take drug tests before they layoff workers, but we require it in some states for people to get welfare, go figure. When do you hear of private companies posting someone’s pay in a public environment for everyone to see?
- morty - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:39 pm:
“The union would rather see the gov’t go bankrupt than lower compensation costs.”
Not in my experience. The union I’ve been involved in looks at the the ability of the district we work in to evaluate the costs that any salary increase would result in. We do that because we know that any excessive salary increases would result in the reduction of employees that you described.
The hard part of any negotiation like that is striking the balance between the compensation needs of the bargaining unit members and the employers ability to pay that compensation.
It’s not an exact science.
On the flip side, I’ve seen districts spend millions of dollars for AstroTurf for their football stadiums and immediately turn around and tell their employees there is no money for raises.
Or a bargaining group to agree to a wage freeze in order to save jobs, only to have jobs cut anyway
There’s no money tree, everything has to be paid for and there’s a trade off in every negotiation.
unless your governin’
- morty - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 4:43 pm:
sorry, you’re governin’
- sal-says - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 5:31 pm:
== …essentially says everyone who sides with union workers are tools for and dupes of Speaker Madigan… ==
Ummm, essentially Mr. Tillman demonstrates his poor memory and lack of any credible grasp of State of IL government & its operations.
‘Dupe’? My vote is Tillman.
- CapnCrunch - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 6:57 pm:
-Sue- makes a valid point when she says “… other states are doing much better in terms of growth, infrastructure, unemployment , wage growth etc…..” According to figures from the Department of Labor and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, between 2003 and 2013 right to work states created a net 3.6 million private sector jobs, saw wages increase by 15.1% and manufacturing GDP grow by 26.1%. The other 26 states added only 1.5 million jobs, saw wages rise by just 8.2% and manufacturing GDP increased by 13.8%. However, this data is not going to change the status quo here.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 7:00 pm:
Morty @ 3:57– Excellent on several levels. I wonder if Sterling Tillman has the same issues with his boss as Archer does.
- Sillyak - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 7:18 pm:
Union dues are collected from non-participating members because they benefit from collective bargaining and they are entitled to union representation if they need it. They do not pay full dues. As for pensions, I do not pay into social security and have made all my payments for 22 years. The state decided to use some of that money for other things. They dropped the ball. Why should workers have to pay for that.
- CapnCrunch - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 7:35 pm:
“……an individual has the Right to decline an offer of employment. No one is forced to accept a job…….”
Maybe, but if you want to be a public employee and try to make state government better for the people you must join our union. We make joining compulsory because membership is such a good thing.
- Shaking my head - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 7:45 pm:
@Sillyak - all bargaining unit members do not benefit from collective bargaining. High performing employees are hurt. Average to below average employees benefit. Unions want everyone to be paid the same regardless of actual performance.
Since the union where I work got the ability to bargain over salary, the salary increases and bonus for top performers has gone down while people who do the minimum requirements of the job get bigger raises and bonuses. And lets not talk about trying to fire under-performers. Thankfully, the federal gov’t is right to work and I don’t pay a dime to the union.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 8:09 pm:
CapnCrunch
You don’t have to join a union to work for state government. There are many non-union jobs.
And, you don’t have to like it but the fact remains that nobody has to join a union. Period.
- RNUG - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 8:20 pm:
== Yep, you currently don’t have the right to work for the state and local government without paying (off) the union. ==
I agree a lot of state employees have to belong to a union or pay fair share … but not all of them. There are non-union positions, primary SPSA’s and some “management” PSA’s … and, since the beginning of Blago’s term forward, they’ve been treated worse than the union members. I spent 34 years at the State (admittedly part before Thompson’s union order), multiple agencies, and never belonged to a union.
- RNUG - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 8:21 pm:
== I work for the federal gov’t, which is right to work btw, and they went away from massive pensions in the 80s. ==
That will news to a friend of mine who works for the Feds and will be collecting a decent pension in a few years.
- Shaking my head - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 8:30 pm:
@rnug ask your friend about CSRS vs FERS.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 8:47 pm:
“According to figures from the Department of Labor and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, between 2003 and 2013 right to work states created a net 3.6 million private sector jobs, saw wages increase by 15.1% and manufacturing GDP grow by 26.1%. The other 26 states added only 1.5 million jobs, saw wages rise by just 8.2% and manufacturing GDP increased by 13.8%. However, this data is not going to change the status quo here.”
This again?
According to Census Bureau figures, in 2014 right to work states overwhelmingly occupied the bottom rankings in median household income and per capita income. There were only three right to work states in the top 20 in both of those metrics.
Using the same Census year, 2014, right to work states occupy 17 of the bottom 25 states in both median household income and per capita income.
BLS union data overwhelmingly show that union jobs pay more than non union jobs, per occupation.
There is no spinning out of it. Right to work states have had plenty of time to surpass full union states, and they’ve failed. In trickle down economics, growth will come in the future, if we just believe…just believe…
To the post:
Madigan is absolutely right in standing in the way of union stripping. The proof is in the pudding. We don’t do race to the bottom in Illinois.
- Illinoisvoter - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 9:29 pm:
It’s just an old photograph but maybe people
need reminding just how crazy things can get.
rhttp://peoplesworld.org/today-in-labor-history-army-seizes-montgomery-ward-hq/eminding
- Norseman - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 10:15 pm:
Shaking, don’t forget that Illinois already changed it’s pension for new employees back in 2010. The problem has been the debt caused by the state’s underfunding of the system.
- Jorge - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 10:28 pm:
Grandson, how dare you espouse common sense. Wait, the GOP lost that years ago. Grrr, unions, climate change, empiricism, modernization, demilitarizaion and anything that isn’t from the 1950’s. Only thing left is bringing back the gold standard.
- PENSIONS ARE OFF LIMITS - Thursday, Jul 30, 15 @ 11:33 pm:
Some of you get it and then again…..
- Michael Westen - Friday, Jul 31, 15 @ 1:06 am:
So shaking, you get pay raises that someone else negotiated for you, but you don’t contribute to the costs of the negotiation. That’s sort of like creepy freeloading Republican welfare isn’t it?
- PublicServant - Friday, Jul 31, 15 @ 5:32 am:
And then theres the fact that the union was certified through a democratic vote of the employees. You know…that democracy thing. Here’s what you do shaking, get a union job, and get enough other employees to agree with you to vote…vote to decertify the union. Boom! Your Right to work nirvana has arrived. Other than that, good luck with externally imposed right to work in Illinois.