Big day in pension battle

Pensions were front and center in Springfield on Wednesday with a bill that slashes benefits moving forward in the House and better news coming out of the Senate.

Pension-slashing legislation passed out of committee in the House on Wednesday morning and is expected to be called for a vote on the House floor on Thursday afternoon.

Call your representatives NOW and tell them to reject Senate Bill 1 – or any other pension legislation opposed by the We Are One Illinois coalition of unions. You can reach lawmakers toll-free by calling (888) 412-6570 or by using the coalition’s click-to-call tool.

SB 1, sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan, contains many of the same unfair and unconstitutional proposals that already passed the House earlier this year, including deep cuts to cost-of-living adjustments and an increase in the retirement age. It puts the entire burden for fixing the state’s pension-funding woes on workers and retirees, even though the problem was created by politicians.

"We are here today because of a problem created when the state put its payments to the pension fund on a credit card," AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer said in testifying against the bill. "It's a good thing you're not kicking the can down the road, but it's a bad thing that you're kicking our members in the butt."

There wasn’t any kicking being done in the State Senate today.  Instead, after weeks of meetings between the We Are One Illinois union coalition and Senate President John Cullerton, the possibility of a compromise measure began to emerge.

While no final agreement has been reached, President Cullerton issued a statement today indicating that he found a proposal put forward by the union coalition to be “credible and constitutional.”

“Because inaction is not an option, I believe that it is appropriate to begin discussing this plan with the members of my caucus and with the Speaker of the House. It’s important that we advance a credible solution to our pension problems,” Cullerton said.

Michael Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO and chair of the We Are One Illinois coalition issued the following statement in response: “Today, we presented President Cullerton with a proposal that is both fair and constitutional, and we are heartened that he has responded positively to our efforts.”

”It is important to stop SB 1 in the House. Call your state representatives now – urge them to reject SB 1 and support We Are One Illinois’ efforts. Remember, you can reach your state representative toll-free by calling (888) 412-6570 or by using the coalition’s click-to-call tool.

After you’ve called your lawmaker, tell five family members or friends to add their voices to yours.

Lawmakers now face a choice – it’s up to us to make sure they make the right one. Make your call today!