by Paul Kersey So, here we are again, scrambling at the last minute to evaluate a complex document that accounts for billions of dollars of state employee wages. In March of this year it was the tentative agreement between Gov. Quinn and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. The challenge...
by Paul Kersey So what exactly do government worker unions do? Along with negotiating contracts and lobbying politicians, they help create loads of debt. The Massachusetts-based Beacon Hill Institute has done some sophisticated analysis of state-level economic performance, and the results indicate that government unions tend to go hand in hand with high government debt....
by Paul Kersey In governments all across the country, there’s a need to open up collective bargaining to more public scrutiny. Union contracts in particular need to be released to the public before they are ratified. But even when you have the contract in hand, you don’t necessarily know everything you need to know. The dirty little...
by Paul Kersey Sometimes decline is a reality that must be dealt with before it can be reversed – and that’s the situation that the Chicago Public Schools board faces. With shrinking enrollment in traditional public schools the CPS board had little choice but to close down some school buildings and redistribute students to new...
by Paul Kersey National Review Reporter Andrew Stiles recently pointed out another group that may have had a hand in using federal tax law to persecute conservative and free market groups – the National Treasury Employees Union, or NTEU. This group represents Internal Revenue Service employees, and has strong partisan preferences. Stiles wrote: The union endorsed Obama...
by Paul Kersey In my last post, I called attention to the contract between the Cleveland Teachers Union (an affiliate of the American Federation, just like the union that represents Chicago teachers) and the Cleveland Municipal School District. The union and the district both deserve credit for releasing their contract to the media just two days after reaching...
Obamacare imposes a new 40 percent excise tax on high cost or “Cadillac” health insurance plans, effective in 2018.
From NBC’s Ward Room: Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis on Friday earned a second three year term. The union said Lewis received an “overwhelming 80 percent of the votes” cast, according to a preliminary tally of the votes. “[Union members have] spoken … saying that they appreciate the direction that the union has gone in...
by Paul Kersey The Chicago Teachers Union has announced plans to file a lawsuit to prevent the closure of about 50 Chicago Public Schools buildings. The union is hoping to keep as many buildings as possible open, and in the process preserve its members’ jobs. Even if the lawsuit fails, the litigation could delay the implementation...
by Paul Kersey In Illinois we have gotten used to being kept in the dark about collective bargaining with government worker unions. Recently a bill to open up the process and have tentative agreements made open to the public before they are signed failed in committee. But it doesn’t have to be like this. In Cleveland of...
by Paul Kersey In Tuesday’s Chicago Reader Ben Joravsky essentially snarks that there must be something wrong with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, because the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools where the mayor sends his children manages to work just fine with the American Federation of Teachers, or AFT, Local 2063. Emanuel, on the other hand, remains...
by Paul Kersey In Illinois and many other states, government workers are often forced to pay union dues in order to hold on to their jobs. But a lawsuit filed on behalf of teachers in California may bring this practice to an end. Union officials use forced dues to fund massive political and lobbying drives...
by Paul Kersey Earlier today the Alliance of Charter School Teachers and Staff, known as ACTS, presented cards that were apparently signed by a strong majority of teachers at United Neighborhood Organization charter schools. An observer appointed by UNO and the union counted the cards and determined that ACTS would henceforth represent UNO teachers. For...
The new owners of Hostess Brands are preparing to restart the production of Twinkies, Ho Hos and all those other sugary treats. Among the plants they plan to reopen is the one in the Chicago suburb of Schiller Park.