Way back in 1990, I was making $17,000 a year working for an online statehouse news and information company. I was too broke for a vacation, so I helped pay for a modest trip by covering a strike at the Delta Pride catfish processing company in Indianola, Mississippi, for a few publications. Almost all of the striking workers were Black women, and their highly unusual walkout had caused a national stir. I was fascinated by what was happening and wanted to see the action up close.
In the process of covering the strike, I visited the union’s makeshift soup kitchen. I spotted a woman ladling soup who looked a lot like state Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago). Sure enough, after approaching the soup lady I discovered she was indeed Flowers, who, it turned out, is from Mississippi.
Flowers explained that her sister was one of the strikers and she was spending her break helping as best she could. And even though she was there to support family and friends, she was clearly in Mississippi to also demonstrate solidarity with the striking union workers, and she was obviously proud to do her part for the overworked, underpaid and mistreated employees, who eventually prevailed.
We didn’t talk long, but seeing her in those circumstances has always stayed with me.
I’m telling you this because, despite the fact that Flowers has compiled an 89% lifetime AFL-CIO voting record after serving 39 years in the Illinois House, labor unions are falling all over each other to contribute to her Democratic primary opponent, Michael Crawford. As I write this, those union contributions have totaled more than $362,000, and much more is coming Crawford’s way. We’re likely looking at seven figures there.
I’m fully aware that voting records are not the be-all, end-all for any organization, including organized labor. Other factors often come into play.
But it’s abundantly clear that those unions are acting at the behest of House Speaker Chris Welch, who can control their legislative destinies. No way could she have been targeted without his consent and even encouragement.
Welch stripped Flowers of her deputy majority leader title and barred her from attending House Democratic caucus meetings last year after a large majority of his members complained about her behavior. She was disrespectful and rude to colleagues and allegedly abusive to some staff. She was behaving as the opposite of a caucus leader.
I fully support the notion that she should not have run again, and instead should’ve retired and taken her pension of at least $256,000 after one year.
But this whole thing bothers me on multiple levels:
1 If the massive union contributions succeed in toppling Flowers, how much will Welch owe them for conducting this political hit, and what will he have to do to repay the favor? I’ve been wanting to ask Welch about this for weeks, but for the first time in my career, I was denied an interview request after it was initially granted. I was told he wants to wait until after the primary to explain everything.
2 How beholden will Michael Crawford be to the unions, and to any other interest groups which chip in on this endeavor, if he wins?
3 How can other House Democrats be assured that regularly voting for organized labor’s bills will prevent the same dire fate from happening to them? Yes, Flowers is an extreme case, but the unions and Welch are also trying to unseat Rep. Cyril Nichols (D-Chicago), who has a 95% lifetime AFL-CIO voting record. I also wanted to ask Welch why Nichols is being targeted and why other members should feel secure, but, again, my interview request was denied.
I mean, I get it. This is Democratic Party “family business.” Sometimes, things just gotta be done. “We had to sit still and take it,” lamented the “Goodfellas” movie character Henry Hill after his friend Tommy DeVito was whacked by the mob. “It was revenge for Billy Batts, and a lot of other things. And there was nothing that we could do about it.”
Flowers is Flowers. Nichols has associated himself with people hostile to Welch’s leadership, including former Rep. Ken Dunkin. And both Nichols and Flowers have angered other powerful and influential interest groups that Welch relies on. I’d hope, though, that Welch has put some limits on his thankfulness.
I’ll close by stating the obvious: Welch had better win these races. If everyone thought that Flowers was a chaos agent before, just wait to see what happens if she gets another term.
- Hank Sauer - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 8:14 am:
$256k is a nice pension amount . Less than 1/2 of 1 % in the private sector can look forward to that amount .
- Watchful eye. - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 8:26 am:
That pension is a joke. Roughly $7 mil in savings for private sector person. Plus 3% kicker compounded. Basically ours her in top 2% of all income earners and she’s on a government pension.
- Macon Bakin - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 8:29 am:
All general assembly proceedings should be replayable without having to file a FOIA request, I would really like to rewatch Gabel and Flowers sparring on dialysis legislation, too lazy to look for it in the record.
- H-W - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 8:48 am:
=== I was denied an interview request after it was initially granted ===
We are living through interesting times, when winning and competition are more about “by any means necessary” than they are about making good outcomes - when beating your opponent is more important than finding solutions and common ground.
I am glad you chose to publicly challenge the status quo, Rich.
- Just Me 2 - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 8:59 am:
I’m struggling to remember any legislative leader ever trying to take out a member of the caucus before. What message does this send to other caucus members?
- Amalia - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 9:13 am:
yeah, gotta win. but on another point, nice success arc for you, Rich.
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 9:30 am:
Good read. Like a good book, the first couple of paragraphs hooked me on the story. We are lucky to have solid writers on politics and government in Illinois.
As to the post, all those years as a Dem supporting Democratic administrations and ideas should count for something with her primary voters.
With all that money she is certainly has a tough race. Will be interesting to see if the Governor and Mayor support her.
- Jimbo2 - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 9:30 am:
I find it somewhat disheartening that the first thing that some people see in this article to complain about is the fact that Mary flowers gets a pension that they feel is too big. I too receive a government pension, it’s a fraction of Mary Flower’s pension. But, I think someone who has been in state leadership for almost 40 years deserves her pension. I don’t hear people complain about the large amounts of money that financial and business leaders are paid.
Also, I’d love to see the source of the statistics used in the criticisms of her pension amounts.I think they’re a little misleading. Numbers I found indicate that to be in the top 1% one’s income had to be over $800,000.
- Lincoln Lad - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 9:33 am:
With all the complaints from members of the caucus and staff, it strikes me that they aren’t concerned about the Speakers actions, but rather appreciate the effort to replace her. Just a thought…
- JoeMaddon - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 10:06 am:
**I’m struggling to remember any legislative leader ever trying to take out a member of the caucus before.**
Ken Dunkin.
- Tony T. - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 10:16 am:
== What message does this send to other caucus members? ==
In Flowers case, she has burned so many bridges the membership is cheering the Speaker on. Nichols is a tougher read. No doubt, the company he keeps has upset many and he’s never going to be a candidate for a Golden Horseshoe. But I do sense at least a few members are taken aback by how hard he’s getting hit.
- Um, no - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 10:29 am:
Speaker Madigan engineered Jay Hoffman going down as punishment for his Blago support. Even sent his GOP opponent Dwight Kay a giant sized congratulatory card.
Hoffman worked his way back into Madigan’s favor on bended knee of course and returned to the IL House.
- New Day - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 10:39 am:
“I was too broke for a vacation”
Gosh, I hope that drought ends soon
- Chicagonk - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 10:46 am:
If districts were more compact, you might have neighborhood groups that would stand as a bulwark against these types of takeouts.
- Lakeview Looker - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 11:21 am:
Mary Flowers has been a thorn in the side of legislators for years. I worked for one and helped take notes during committee meetings–Flowers would constantly derail conversations, accuse witnesses and sponsors of absurd behavior and ill intentions (even on well-meaning, uncontroversial bills) AND act superior to everyone else because of the length of her tenure. Truthfully, she is a relic. Taking her off of leadership and supporting a primary opponent in her district makes perfect sense. If she was ever an effective legislator, she no longer is.
And comparing a staffer to Adolf Hitler? What the heck was that all about?! She has no emotional maturity, even as politicians are concerned.
- Anyone Remember - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 11:46 am:
What Lincoln Lad said …
- allknowingmasterofraccoondom - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 11:51 am:
Unions gonna union.
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 12:52 pm:
Remember Mary from the Harold Washington campaign.
I suspect her voting record is worth supporting for union workers. Hard to believe a 90% voting record over 36 years is not good enough for “Union Leaders” living in their Springfield bubble or the new Speaker.
Agree that she is not a “go along to get along person”, but she has a solid record as a Democratic Party agent for change.
Hope the Mayor stands tall for a real agent of change like State Rep. Mary.
- Tom - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 12:52 pm:
I spent some time the last two years in Indianola MS and it was an eye opening experience. It was felt like 50 years ago, I can only imagine what 1990 was like, that was only 12 years after they desegregated the school system.
- DougChicago - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 3:02 pm:
I continue to believe (contrary to most of my Republican co-partisans) that public pensions need to be maximally protected from later abridgment—a deal is a deal.
But good god — a quarter million dollar annual pension for a part-time job?!
Other than habit (my excuse), why does anyone live here?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 3:04 pm:
===a quarter million dollar annual pension for a part-time job?===
Enhanced Tier One. Those days are over.
- Ridgelander - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 4:14 pm:
===**I’m struggling to remember any legislative leader ever trying to take out a member of the caucus before.**
Ken Dunkin.===
Don’t forget Skip Saviano, done in by former Speaker Madigan.
Rich wrote a beautiful summary of that episode:
https://capitolfax.com/2012/11/05/things-get-weird-in-saviano-race/
- Lincoln Lad - Tuesday, Feb 13, 24 @ 4:55 pm:
…and pretty much everyone liked Skip. Cannot say that about Flowers.
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Feb 14, 24 @ 1:03 am:
===Hard to believe a 90% voting record over 36 years is not good enough for “Union Leaders” living in their Springfield bubble===
In politics a consistent voting record over three decades can be rendered moot by just one vote. That’s really all it takes.
I’m also not so sure these unnamed labor leaders have a “Springfield bubble” unless it is something they bring back north with them.