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Summary and audio linked here.
Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
Full interview and summary linked here.
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They are a political organization not a teaching organization!!
The CPS school board is filled with morons and patronage appointments. A real school board should be managing this situation and dictating the CPS messaging to the public and publicly denouncing this CTU position.
The CTU can do whatever it wants related to their messaging, but the School District Board should recognize this sort of political involvement reflects badly on them and they should address it with the Union.
My guess is most on the board agree with this tripe or are too weak and ball-less to ever say anything against the Union.
Close it. Fire them all. Start over.
Teachers could vote out this brand of CTU “leadership” but do not. I would not want these a-holes representing me, but if they are significant increasing my pay and pension but not my workload, maybe I’m willing to put my head in the sand out of self interest. Is that a factor here? Likely. Also, fear of intimidation and retribution. So how can the “union” be decertified and declared a political party? If the teachers can’t fix their own house, the state needs to. But elected officials are beholden to CTU for dollars and votes. And the voters? They seem… Read more »
“Teachers could vote out this brand of CTU “leadership” but do not.” The same could be said for Chicago voters and their choice of leaders. Union members (just like Chicago voters) are free to choose their leaders and they seem happy with their current choices. You can decertify all you want but nothings stops those same people from being reelected in the “newly formed” union. People can hate CTU all they want but the reality is that they are highly effective at negotiating good contracts with strong pay and benefits. That’s their job and they continue to deliver for their… Read more »
Big difference PPF. CTU members vote in both elections. CTU members vote for one side of the “negotiating” table, then turn around and vote for the other side. And make sure they are the largest contributors to the people controlling the purse strings.
Democracy at its finest.
So what? They are eligible voters and taxpayers themselves so they get to vote in both. Business owners who benefit from government contracts also get to vote. That’s our system of government.
We are say much the same thing.
We are saying something similar other than your suggestion to decertify or declare the union a political organization. The state holds no such power.
So continuing corruption and decline are inevitable on the principle that what’s broke CAN’T be fixed? …or shouldn’t be fixed? Or … if it’s just how things work in Chicago, we might as well relax and enjoy it? What should we do about the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?
“I told you so” seems pretty passive for a Chicagoan with big shoulders.
If you find corruption, you are free to seek prosecution. What you are not free to do is ban CTU because you don’t like the outcome or you “believe” there is corruption. CTU in some shape or form is here to stay and isn’t going anywhere. You need to accept this reality and work within those rules to make changes or you are free to try and change The Illinois Constitution to weaken public union rights.
FYI, the state can’t “decertify” or declared them a “political party”. Only the union members themselves can decertify. I see this fantasy repeated consistently here by certain posters but it’s only a fantasy.
When Sharky was the union president of the union, did the teachers union not take a group down to Venezuela? If so Why? I was a member of a union. I felt it was all political and always slanted to the democrat /left. Never thought my money was spend for any other purpose than for union heads. In this case you can see what they are promoting in the class room. It sure isn’t reading, and math.
Former union carpenter. Left when I saw the union allowing non citizens to be members . Along with the promotion of dick Durbin and his policies which I was against, I had enough.
Although I think if you want to hire union labor that’s your business ,but because the citizen has no voice in goverment hires , government unions should not be allowed in .
CTU is a socialist political organization, and should be legally designated as such. Or they should stay out of politics and focus on education.
PUBLIC unions should be illegal, no fair representation for the people negotiating the contract.
Not only not Illegal but constitutionally guaranteed in Illinois.