In 2003 and 2009, governors Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn, respectively, issued executive orders to unionize parents who receive a modest Medicaid benefit to help pay for the cost of caring for their disabled children. Suburban Chicago mother Pam Harris has bravely taken this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court in what could be a...
Illinois is a party to a landmark federal lawsuit, Harris v. Quinn. In this case, the state has been forced to defend before the U.S. Supreme Court its decision to permit the unionization of people who are not state workers. The people in question participate in a state-administered Medicaid program that allows them to provide...
It’s hard to make a living as a Chicago taxi driver. A recent study showed that Chicago drivers make an average of just $5.40 an hour, far below minimum wage, and just over $20,000 per year. Some cab drivers have tried to change this by suing the city of Chicago. They argue that because the...
In a ruling that has already sent shockwaves through public education, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu found in Vergara v. California that five California laws governing the hiring, firing and laying off of teachers – laws that teachers unions favor – violated the California Constitution’s equal protection clause, and should be struck...
The Chicago Tribune recently reported on the links between the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, and various community organizing groups behind the campaign to increase Chicago’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. In her story, reporter Alejandro Cancino found that SEIU and its affiliates had spent at least $2 million on a campaign to organize...
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, is coming under fire for providing poor care to veterans who rely on it. Wait lists for essential medical procedures have extended for months, and veterans of the armed forces have lost their lives as a result. Administrators at VA hospitals have made matters worse by faking...
With everyone arguing about the minimum wage, taxes and pension reforms, many people may not realize the most important battle Illinois’ next governor will face: negotiating the state’s largest government union contract. Whoever is elected governor will be stuck with a partisan and bitter legislature, making his ability to push through bold legislative reforms extremely...
Union members are allowed to deduct their union dues on their taxes, equating to an estimated $15 billion nationwide. According to the Internal Revenue Service, workers are allowed to deduct union dues as part of their itemized deductions: “You can deduct dues and initiation fees you pay for union membership… You can also deduct assessments for...
A week ago, my colleague Josh Dwyer reported an exchange between state Reps. Linda Chapa LaVia and Ron Sandack. Sandack, R-Downers Grove, recently asked Chapa LaVia – when they were debating the bill in the House to end the state charter school commission – what the logic was behind crafting the bill. Chapa LaVia responded:...
About three weeks ago, we sounded a warning about House Bill 5485, which would allow arbitrators to set minimum staffing levels in fire departments throughout Illinois. Since then, news outlets throughout Illinois have been taking note of this bill, pointing out to readers that it would take Illinois in the wrong direction by making unions...
The Chicago Transit Authority, or CTA, has effectively fired the blue line operator who fell asleep and crashed a train into the O’Hare International Airport terminal. CTA authorities announced today the worker was issued a termination notice, which is effective immediately. They may have fired the operator for now, but this is just the beginning...
UPDATE: The CTA is changing how rail operators are scheduled as a result of a review of the crash that injured at least 30 people at the O’Hare International Airport Blue Line station, the agency said today. READ MORE … Does the latest Chicago Transit Authority, or CTA, Blue Line crash at O’Hare feel like déjà...
On March 23, a Chicago Transit Authority operator crashed a Blue Line train into the O’Hare National Airport terminal. The train hopped the tracks and smashed into an escalator at 2:50 a.m., injuring more than 30 passengers. Union representatives said the operator “works a lot of overtime” and was “extremely tired.” The operator admitted to...
In Illinois, elected officials and government unions negotiate their contracts completely hidden from the eyes of taxpayers. This means taxpayers end up paying for increases in government workers’ salaries, benefits and other expenses – but aren’t even allowed to see what they’re paying for until it’s too late. Unfortunately, about two weeks ago a bill...