IL Policy Institute releases book detailing how government unions spend dues money, and which politicians get the most union campaign contributions

February 10, 2015

CHICAGO (Feb. 10, 2015) – On the heels of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s executive order halting “fair share” union dues for state employees, the Illinois Policy Institute has released a new book detailing how government unions have abused the power they have to automatically collect money from government workers in Illinois. In state government, nearly half of the money collected from membership and “fair share” dues goes to political donations and “overhead” costs – not worker representation, which is the purpose of unions.

In Illinois, employees of state government are required to pay money to a union. Even if workers don’t want to belong to a union, they must pay “fair share” dues in order to keep their jobs. But the executive order issued by Rauner on Monday halts that practice.

The Institute’s new book, “The anatomy of influence: Government unions in Illinois,” shows how unions spend that dues money based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Illinois State Board of Elections. Key findings include:

  • In 2013, the largest state-employee union, AFSCME, collected $18.1 million from forced dues and “fair share” fees.
  • In AFSCME, only 51 cents out of every $1 in union dues went to representation, according to the union’s filings with the federal government.
  • Of all state lawmakers in the current General Assembly, 86 percent received political contributions from the state’s five largest government unions.
  • Since 2002, the state’s five largest government unions combined have spent more than $46 million in contributions to political campaigns.

“Anatomy of influence” details the following:

  • Overall union membership in Illinois in private and public sectors
  • Profiles of the Illinois Education Association; Illinois Federation of Teachers; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and Service Employees International Union
  • Partisan breakdown of union contributions since 2002
  • Top 100 beneficiaries of union political contributions since 2002
  • Union political contributions to current members of the General Assembly

“Anatomy of influence” is available online here: illinoispolicy.org/reports/the-anatomy-of-influence-government-unions-in-illinois/

For interviews: Nathaniel Hamilton or Diana Rickert (312) 607-4977