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The fog of war

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* Northwest Herald editor Dan McCaleb penned a column over the weekend decrying major cuts to human service programs, then added this…

And at the same time Quinn is proposing these massive cuts to social service agencies, he’s increasing by more than $100 million the wages and benefits of public employees in the Department of Human Services and at state institutions.

These are among the same public employees who are members of the state unions that backed Quinn in last year’s election.

So we know Quinn is good at taking care of those who take care of him.

As for everyone else, including those who need care the most … well, he just doesn’t care.

Our elected lawmakers need to see through this farce and restore this funding.

Those pay and benefit increases are directly tied to the state’s union contract, which was negotiated and signed by Rod Blagojevich, not Pat Quinn. The Northwest Herald has regularly called for budget cuts, but apparently isn’t quite up to snuff on what the budget actually is. The state spends the most on education, health care, human services, prisons and workers/retirees. Over 95 percent of state workers belong to a union, so their pay cannot be cut in the coming fiscal year. Other avenues must be found. I know it’s fashionable to bash public employees, but a little reality would be nice.

* The Chicago Tribune editorial board appears unclear on the concept of legislating. It wants lots more anti-union provisions in the Senate-approved education reform bill…

• The Senate bill requires a 75 percent vote of approval by teachers to authorize a strike in Chicago. That’s a fairly high bar, but as new school leadership gets established and Chicago sorts through its financial crisis and contract talks, children need a guarantee that they will be in school. The House should set at least a five-year moratorium on Chicago school strikes.

Performance Counts emerged from the Senate after months of bargaining. It’s a very good bill. It could be a great bill. That’s the challenge to House Speaker Michael Madigan, Minority Leader Tom Cross and their members. Make it great.

Take out the right to strike and there goes the teachers’ union support. That may sound just fine and dandy to the Tribune and many others, but passing such a hotly opposed bill would be quite a bit more difficult, if not impossible. It’s the difference between what Wisconsin rammed through and what Illinois is doing, on several fronts. By definition, compromises don’t satisfy everyone, or even anyone. It’s pretty easy to bloviate from an editorial boardroom. It’s a whole lot more difficult to actually pass legislation and get it signed into law. A tiny bit of recognition of this fact of life would be appreciated.

It’s more than obvious that the Tribune is itching for a fight with the CTU…

Emanuel isn’t calibrating each move to please this or that group, as Daley often did. Instead, the mayor-elect is trying to recruit the Get-It-Done Brigade. Consider:

His most controversial choice to date, Jean-Claude Brizard, will be CEO of Chicago Public Schools for one reason: Emanuel sees him as a pile-driving force for reform. That is, for putting student performance first. If teachers union officials in Rochester, N.Y., didn’t approve of Brizard, so be it. That tells Emanuel that Brizard probably is steely enough for what comes next; the Chicago Teachers Union plainly intends to resist much of Emanuel’s reform agenda. What’s more, Emanuel has bulwarked Brizard for whatever fight the union wants to instigate.

It sounds to me like it’s not the unions who are doing the instigating here. After all, the CTU signed off on the Senate reform bill, despite taking it on the chin on numerous issues. But the Tribune wants more. Lots more. And they won’t stop until they get it.

Wars always have unintended, unforeseen consequences. So, rather than singing patriotic battle hymns as they attempt to march the city toward the ultimate showdown, perhaps a little sober and rational forethought would be the wiser course.

* And the State Journal-Register wants to push thousands of its subscribers out of their pension plans and let the Supreme Court sort it out…

As the General Assembly returns to work in the coming weeks — the House on Tuesday, the Senate on May 3 — we urge lawmakers to pass House Bill 149 — or some form of it — and initiate the inevitable court challenge that will yield an answer. The bill does not seek to cut benefits directly, instead giving employees hired before this year the option of paying more to keep their benefits the same or choosing between two alternate plans that offer lesser benefits. […]

The constitutional clause in question — “Membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired” — could reasonably be interpreted as allowing the state to ask for greater contributions as long as the benefits themselves are not “diminished or impaired.”

Then again, the Illinois Supreme Court could reasonably interpret that the options offered in HB 149 are a back-door form of diminishing or impairing benefits, thus violating the constitution. […]

The only thing certain in this matter is that Illinois needs an answer. The state can’t continue down its present path and expect anything but disastrous results… We see only one route to an answer and it leads directly to the Illinois Supreme Court. Let’s get this process moving.

Give them credit for guts.

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:05 am

Comments

One reason the wages and benefts are going up 100 million dollars next fiscal year is that AFSCME deferred a lot of raises this year. That cost AFSCME members a lot of money. It would have been nice if that had been mentioned in Dan’s column.

Comment by Reality is Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:15 am
Has the state realized the $250M (I believe this is the number)that the unions gave in exchange for Quinn not cutting state jobs?
I think most rational government employees are willing to give more to be assured they will see the pension benefits they hope to get. But won’t a two-tiered pension with new employees going to a defined pension at some point bankrupt the current pension system since gradually there will not be any contributors to the old system?

Comment by Jim Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:23 am
Have to disagree with you in part on the CTU, right from the announcement the CTU twitter stream was against the new board of ed memebers as well as the new schools CEO.

I didn’t see a single ‘we look forward to working with him’ tweet, just a stream of look at this, look at that. All of it negative. It’s their right and may be the right approach, but it started fairly quick.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:24 am
yep, never miss a chance to make the unions look greedy…even if they deferred raises cuz of the fiscal crisis and their caseload per worker in DHS
is growing…

Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:26 am
‘Over 95 percent of state workers belong to a union, so their pay cannot be cut in the coming fiscal year. Other avenues must be found.’

What about the many thousands of people who work for community based service providers who do most of the direct person to person work? Far more of them than state workers. Some are in unions, some are not. They are doing the state’s work under contract with DHS. Guess they get to enjoy another set of cuts after the last several years of cuts since they are not part of the state union. They must be part of the other avenue. Go talk to those providers about the 6% cut and see how many are planning to drop the most difficult people they work with because they simply cannot afford it any more.

Comment by zatoichi Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:36 am
The union contract was renegotiated by Quinn. It’s been opened before, it can be opened again. Springfield needs a can do attitude on the union contract. Just throwing up your hands and saying, we can’t do it isn’t going to solve any problems.

Remember the little engine that could.

Comment by Old Milwaukee Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:37 am
Rutherford and the SJ-R are absolutely right. Let’s cut back on retirement benefits, and then ask some judges who are looking forward to those retirement benefits, whether it’s constitutional or not. You know, the same people who said it was unconstitutional to deny them their cost of living increase a few years back. That will settle the issue once and for all, but wouldn’t it save time to just ask AFSCME’s advice? You’ll get the same answer.

Comment by Pat Robertson Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:52 am
The contract cannot be opened unless the union agrees. Why would they given the climate today? This anti-worker, tea party type of hype by the daily newspapers is not helping the situation at all. Besides they could fire all state employees and still not have enough money to cover their indebtedness.
As far as Chicago teachers are concerned, why shouldn’t they oppose some guy from out of state whose failed policies have proven to make the situation everywhere he has been worse instead of better.
He is no miracle worker, just another union busting thug who will toe the Emmanuel line, blame the victims, and leave the mess a whole lot worse than it was before he got here.
Watch for a lot of hiring of six figure administrators who will never even see a student. That seems to be JC’s pattern of reform.

Comment by Bill Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 9:54 am
zatoichi - What do you think it means to “privatize” jobs that used to be state and union positions? It means this: the state is no longer responsible for paying you a decent wage and benefits, since they are no longer your employer. Your employer is simply one more vendor the state has contracted with for a specific amount. I am not unsympathetic to the plight of social service agencies and their employees. But, being brutally honest, this is why the state privatized those jobs. Now they can cut without having to deal with the union.

Comment by lincolnlover Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:01 am
Oh Bill, I can’t wait for Emperor Rahm - Mayor Rahm to begin his reign, I mean tenure…the unions are the problem doncha see?
Not Wall Street robber barons, the Federal Reserve, Bank of America, or investment bankers…damn those teachers firemen and state workers…

Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:01 am
old milwaukee - the current AFSCME contract expires on June 30, 2012. A new contract is already being negotiated. Doubt if it will contain anything positive for union members. Meanwhile, the terms of the existing contract need to be met. There is no way members are going to allow it to be reopened and it takes agreement by both parties to do that.

Comment by lincolnlover Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:04 am
Lincoln,
“doubt it will contain anything positive for union members’

on what grounds? Have you been paying attention to Quinn? It will be a peach for them. But it doesn’t have to be. If I saw Quinn putting the pressure on them right now, I might agree with you. But I don’t.

Comment by Old Milwaukee Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:17 am
Are you kidding? Just because Quinn is pro-union, does not mean he can do whatever he wants (although Blago tried!) Plus, AFSCME’s negotiators totally understand the current political environment and really do not expect to gain anything in this contract. They have made it known that they will be fortunate to preserve what already exists. So, if its a “peach”, it will be a rotten one.

Comment by lincolnlover Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:35 am
===They have made it known that they will be fortunate to preserve what already exists. So, if its a “peach”, it will be a rotten one. ===

AFSCME 31 has one of the best contracts in the nation, if not the best. If they keep what they have, it’s still a pretty good peach.

Just sayin…

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:36 am
Can someone tell me why you would want to teach in Illinois? It is really getting ridiculous, pensions, tenure, collective bargainning, and a cut in state aid. Just wait for the shortage Chicago Tribune, then what? Any agreement or compromise with the unions on anything these days gets an automatic thumbs down from the trust fund babies in the ivory tower.

Comment by Obamas Puppy Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:39 am
AFSCME 31 may have one of the the best contracts, but in state like IL, whose fiscal house is a wreck, this does not inspire my confidence that it will remain that way for the long haul…

Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 10:57 am
With the contract in force till 2012, deal with it
and try to improve it in 2012.

Comment by mokenavince Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 11:37 am
The problem with this hole debate is everyone takes extreme positions. On the one hand you have pur Union support, with everything as it exists now. On the other hand you have the anti-union, wth toss everything out.

Neither view is correct.

As a general principle, unions have helped government and business by requring the implementation of set procedures and rules, or standard operating procedures. Interestingly a number of large conmpanies that have not unionized have implemented the types of benefits plans and stadarized procedures that come from unionization, in order to avoid being unionized. So while these large companies may not have actually unionized, the company is reaping the benfits of a unioized workforce by basicaly implementing changes.

The problem or real issue is one of balance. No union presence is just as bad as too much. The new school bill to me shows that balance in work. It struck the proper middle ground between keeping a nonabusive system in place, and not overly protecting the workers.

The State right now is way out of balance, The unnions have too many memebrs and control over state operations. We dont need to oust the unions, we just need to return to the balance and take back managment rights.

When the tribune supports pushing the union out what are they realy asking for? i.e. what is the concern they want fixed specifically? talking about the management authority they think needs to be in place would beore useful then just anti-union rhetoric.

For example, does the tribune hate that good workers cannot be fired at will, while bad employees kept on becuase they are friends with somone? Part of the union process is ensuring that discipline and discharges are handeled unifomrly and failry.

perhaps the tribune thinks the negotiated pay is unfair….which would be odd becuase during the tribunes bankruptcy they have asked for large bonuses for top managers from a company with no money, in order to preserve their human capital. Perhaps the tribune thinks keeping good people should only apply to bankrupt newspapaers, and not the State of IL.

AFter all, wouldnt the State benefit from having high turnover short employees and never having experienced people around?

We need to end the demogogery of State employees and unions and have real conversations. Here are some ideas of what the Stateneeds to takeback:
Get rid of seniority promotions and go to a merit system;
use a layoff system like for the teachers where better employees get preference over senior employees;
put in an absolute right for the state to do layoffs or shut donw to cover fiscal emrgencies.

The ramp up employee contributions on retirmenet so the employees are paying 9% and the State 6% (this provides the a better cost saving then a 401k with match)
Add in contributions or retirees to health care.

etc

instead of scorched earth it times to return to a balance approach where the state is held to operate and treat its employees fairly; and it can attarct good qualified people and get them to stay, just like the trbune spends millions in bonus money doing; and the rights of management are returned to get rid of bad employees and address fiscal crisis.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 12:05 pm
The TRIB editorial on SB7 states that the legislation passed by the Senate is “Performance Counts.” It is not.

Performance Counts was the reform proposal offered by Stand for Children and Advance Illinois last December. In January, IEA, IFT and CTU unveiled their own reform plan, “Accountability for All.”

Sen. Lightford spent four months presiding over discussions involving the unions, the reform groups and others. Those talks were focused on developing a bill that all participants could agree on. SB7 incorporates some ideas from the two original proposals as well as other ideas.

SB7, as passed by the Senate, is supported by all the participants in the reform discussions.

Comment by HCM Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 12:06 pm
Everyone gave in the school reform package. The process worked like it’s supposed to.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 12:16 pm
Lincoln, I basically agree with you. The privatization came about years ago because the state simply could not provide the services and moved people to community settings. Over the years the state portion kept shrinking and the privatized section kept growing. Now there are about 3,000 people living in state institutions and 100,000 getting services in the community. The support structure for community is far larger than the state, but just keep whacking at the community system. The people being supported there will not cease to exist. They will pop back up in other expensive spots. And the provider job losses? Unemployment.

Comment by zatoichi Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 12:29 pm
zatiochi - Exactly. This is a lose/lose situation for everyone involved.

Comment by lincolnlover Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 1:15 pm
This situation that “pits” public workers against human service providers, not enough money to go around, is the Democrats worst nightmare. Two constituent groups upset with one another can’t be helpful in 2912. Let the Guv borrow what he needs, eliminate the sunset on the tax increase, and tax the rich more.

Comment by Flaming Liberal Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 1:20 pm
===can’t be helpful in 2912===

Hopefully, I’ll be dead by then.

lol

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 1:21 pm
*** Northwest Herald editor Dan McCaleb penned a column over the weekend decrying major cuts to human service programs**

This is rich… considering that the NW Herald continually bashed the tax increase, editorialized against it, and has continually that the state needs to cut spending.

Ah… my hometown paper of record. At least not many people buy it anymore.

Comment by dave Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 1:22 pm
Rich - My comment about the stinky fruit was directed towards the coming contract, not the current one. I remember the ratification meeting for the existing contract and thinking “is this for real?!” 4% raises and no increase in medical premiums? Hey, they (Blago) offered and we accepted. That was then, this is now. The new contract will indeed be rotten for the membership to swallow. I know it has to be, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Comment by lincolnlover Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 1:28 pm
==Can someone tell me why you would want to teach in Illinois==

1. You’ve known it was your calling since you were a teenager.
2. Teaching is what you were educated (degreed) to do.
3. Your family likes living in Illinois and your extended family is in the area.
4. You are gratified to make a difference in kids’ lives and get much satisfaction from seeing kids learn.
5. Illinois is a high population state and so there are lots of kids to educate.
6. You get long summer vacations to do other things you enjoy.
7. You have more job security than many other professions.
8. You make enough salary to live a nice middle class life.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 1:42 pm
I don’t think it’s just the $100 million in raises, it’s also a $27 million (9.4%)increase for state-operated institutions. How do you cut human service providers who are better able than the state to do more with less and increase funding for state operated institutions?

Comment by Ahoy Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 3:15 pm
I get so tired of this “union bashing” rhetoric. I am a parent. I am for some things the union does, and against other things the union does.

To be labeled categorically a union basher if you oppose anything the union is for, is not true and ridiculous.

If Education Reform worked like it is supposed to, in SB 7, why do all districts outside Chicago need a 50% vote to strike, whereas Chicago needs 75%. Parents/children outside Chicago get the shaft on that one.

There should be no right for teachers strike. I am all for the House prohibiting teaches to strike. Teachers can strike in very few states. WI is one of the few, and until this year they hadn’t exercised that right since 1997. MN allows strikes. It’s illegal for teachers to strike in MI (they do anyways from time to time). Strikes are prohibited in Indiana, Iowa, & Missouri. Strikes are prohibited in many liberal states such as MA and NY. I could go on but you get the idea, Illinois is atypical in allowing teachers the right to strike. If my facts are wrong let me know.

One of the worst union protection schemes that hurts children is the 6% end of career salary increases each of the last 4 years of a teachers career. That is some Illinois teacher thing that is a holdout from long ago when teachers were low payed, but even then, it spiked a pension at taxpayers expense. Although pension spiking
amongst teaches does occur in some other states, Illinois is near the top of worst offenders, all at taxpayers expense.

If you started teaching out of college at say 21 or 22, and started in the years 1990 - 2010, the “average” suburban Chicago teacher would teach for 35 years, retire before 60, have received a masters degree and additional credits, many would earn $100,000 or more, and a huge number which grows every year would have a pension of $75,000 or more. Why should teachers get such a pension
if they taxpayers don’t get that, it has the 8.5% rate of return taxpayers don’t get guaranteed, and the social security the teachers do not get, is not guaranteed, whereas the teachers pension is guaranteed. Not fair. The “average” numbers the TRS and IEA quote for pensions certainly are not the “averages” I see in publically available data for suburban Chicago, I don’t know who they are including in their averages, part-time teachers, teachers who only worked for 10 years, what’s the deal.

The fact is teachers are no different than any other profession in that some teachers do not perform there job well and should be removed. The difference is that in IL and other states, union rules have protected ineffective teachers.

It’s sure madness.

Comment by Mark Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 3:33 pm
Mark, the IL numbers break down like this…

Before teachers had a legal right to strike there were a couple hundred strikes a year.

After they won the right to srike, there were just a handful of strikes a year.

Careful what you wish for…

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 3:40 pm
Responsa -

Nicely stated. However, there will be a shortage of teachers in Illinois in a decade. Burnout is at an all time high and teacher bashing is all the rage on both sides of the political aisle. It is a calling, but the current climate makes it easier for college educated people to ignore that call.

Comment by Just the Facts Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 3:42 pm
=== Give them credit for guts. ===

An editorial calling for the state to repeal the tens of millions in taxpayer subsidies for the newspaper industry would take guts.

Demanding the slaughter of someone else’s sacred cow is relatively easy.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 3:56 pm
@Just the Facts:

Chicago is going on its fifth year of elementary school teachers.

Statewide, we’ve had a shortage of math, science, reading, special education, and bilingual teachers for about the past five years as well.

Other than that, things are fine!

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 4:05 pm
Just want to throw this out for general consideration:

A number of commenters on this blog (not specifically today) seem to feel it is highly unlikely that businesses would leave Illinois, or close their doors, or fail to start up in the first place, even if business owners perceive conditions to be unfavorable i.e., that business is being treated unfairly through legislation, taxation or regulation. Yet it seems to be almost an article of faith that teachers will leave the profession in droves or might eschew teaching as a career altogether if they perceive conditions to be unfavorable for them due to legislation or pressures on unions.

The disparity, if not hypocrisy between these two positions, interests me, because I really do not understand why the two scenarios are viewed so differently by many people.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 4:24 pm
@Responsa -

There is a BIG difference between what Lobbyists for Business Associations say and what individual businesses are actually thinking/doing.

For Example:

In 2005, when the Illinois State Medical Society was telling us that doctors were leaving Illinois in droves because of medical malpractice insurance costs, it turns out that Illinois actually had more doctors per capita than ANY of the states that had enacted malpractice caps.

And in 2010, while the Illinois Manufacturers Association says that worker’s compensation costs were making Illinois hostile to business, it turns out that Chicagoland was leading the nation in corporate expansions.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 4:54 pm
@Responsa -

By contrast, Illinois has experienced a shortage of teachers of elementary, math, science, reading and special education for the past five years.

You’re right to be skeptical of anything any P.R. firm cranks out…but when the evidence matches the rhetoric, as it does with teachers, you might want to heed their advice.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 4:57 pm
War is good, but only for the guys who sell caskets and bullets. Oh yeah: and newspapers.

A war between Emanuel and the CTU will ensure high readership and ad sales for the Tribune.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 4:58 pm
So is the new schools chief going to turn into Jody Weis the sequel? It’s starting to feel that way.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 5:05 pm
===Oh yeah: and newspapers.===

War sells newspapers. True enough.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 5:12 pm
Rich, thanks for the IL teacher strike info. When was the IL teacher strike law changed? In the IL collective bargaining legislation that was enacted around 1985?

YellowDog, where are the teacher shortages? In the Chicago suburbs there is a surplus of teachers. Teachers are out of work. That has been the case for the past few years.

Comment by Mark Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 7:15 pm
Mark/Responsa/YDD -

I am not sure what YDD is basing his/her info on either as teachers are being laid off in droves in the burbs. Regardless of the (current or future) shortage, my point is this: We won’t attract and keep quality people in the profession if we are not willing to pay them. The same is true for any industry.

Comment by Just the Facts Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 7:54 pm
===teachers are being laid off in droves in the burbs===

Almost solely due to the uncertainty surrounding late state payments and possible state cuts.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Apr 25, 11 @ 8:17 pm