More than 38,000 workers have left government unions in Illinois

By Mailee Smith

04/12/2022

The unions’ own federal reports show 9% of workers have chosen to break away from unions since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME.

TAGS: government unions, Janus v. AFSCME, membership

Nonunion Chicago educators sue CTU, AFT to end forced union dues

By Vincent Caruso

05/07/2020

While members can opt out of CTU at any time, the union says they may only stop paying the union if they do so during a one-month period. A lawsuit filed against the union argues this violates teachers’ First Amendment rights.

TAGS: AFT: American Federation of Teachers, Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, government unions, Janus v. AFSCME

Lawmakers seek to place nation’s first job-killing amendment in Illinois Constitution

By Mailee Smith

02/05/2020

A proposal in the Illinois General Assembly would prohibit right-to-work laws in Illinois, making Illinois the only state in the nation to ban the policy in a state constitution.

TAGS: constitutional amendment, economic growth, graduated income tax, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Janus v. AFSCME, job creation, jobs, labor, lawmakers, private sector, progressive income tax, public sector, right to work, Rockford, Springfield, unions

How Illinois unions re-gifted member dues to Madigan for sexual harassment settlement

By Austin Berg

12/19/2019

So who wants to fund a highly unpopular politician’s sexual harassment settlement on behalf of a disgraced political worker under federal investigation? Executives at Illinois’ largest public-sector labor unions.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Alaina Hampton, Christmas, government unions, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Janus v. AFSCME, JB Pritzker, Kevin Quinn, Mike Madigan, PAC: political action committee, SEIU: Service Employees International Union, sexual harrassment, Springfield, unions

Ending dues deductions, recovering fees harder for public employees under bill passed by Illinois lawmakers

By Joe Tabor

11/14/2019

SB 1784 would hurt workers trying to stop paying union dues or trying to learn about their options. Union leaders get greater access to them and their personal information.

TAGS: Janus v. AFSCME, Jay Hoffman, labor, unions

Thousands of government workers exercise rights in the year after landmark Janus case

By Mailee Smith

06/27/2019

This is the first anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling government employees cannot be forced to pay a union. In that year, about 20,000 workers from just three of Illinois’ public-sector unions have said “no” to union membership.

TAGS: fair share, Janus v. AFSCME, labor

More than 6,800 Illinois educators have stopped sending money to IFT

By Mailee Smith

05/07/2019

More than 6.7% of employees represented by Illinois Federation of Teachers in Illinois are no longer paying dues or fees to the union.

TAGS: fair share, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, Janus v. AFSCME, unions

More than 8,000 Illinois workers have stopped paying AFSCME Council 31

By Mailee Smith

04/29/2019

Thousands of Illinois workers are no longer sending a part of their paycheck to one of the state’s most politically active unions.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, fair share, Janus v. AFSCME, labor, unions

AFSCME Council 31 spent just 17% of funds representing workers in 2018

By Mailee Smith

04/26/2019

Union’s own reporting shows only 17% of overall spending went for “representational activities” in 2018. Just what are Illinois public employees paying for?

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, collective bargaining, Janus v. AFSCME

Duped: How millions of dollars in AFSCME member dues flow to politics

By Vincent Caruso

02/12/2019

State workers don’t really know much about how AFSCME spent $7.7 million on politics. That’s because records don’t detail and the union’s Illinois chapter obscures how most of the money was used.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Janus v. AFSCME

Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

Illinois finds itself at a crossroads: will it empower minorities and poor people to unleash their potential, or will it perpetuate an inequitable status quo? For far too many Illinoisans, opportunity is unfairly and unnecessarily out of reach. Illinois ranks in the bottom ten among all states in social mobility and last among Midwest states...

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Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

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Brandi Lentz

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students