Cook County pension cuts blocked
Despite an all-out lobbying blitz by County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, House Bill 1154—legislation she backed to make steep cuts to the modest pensions earned by Cook County employees—wasn’t called for a vote in the state House of Representatives before its adjournment at the end of May.
A number of factors contributed to the bill’s demise, but undoubtedly a key role was played by the grassroots lobbying effort spearheaded by AFSCME, along with the National Nurses Union, the FOP, PBPA, Guild/CWA, and the House Staff Association.
President Preckwinkle had pointed to pension system funding woes to justify pushing through her bill without serious scrutiny or debate. But the County’s pension fund is in better fiscal shape than most other Illinois public pensions; it’s nearly twice as well-funded as Chicago and state retirement systems. While its problems must be addressed, they don’t require an emergency intervention.
That’s why AFSCME was surprised and disappointed when the County abruptly broke off discussions with unions representing its employees several weeks ago, choosing instead to move forward with its own plan—one that would have cut pension benefits by as much as 30% over the first two decades of retirement for county employees who don’t have Social Security to fall back on. For some workers, the county’s proposed reductions were even more drastic than those found in previous pension-cutting bills affecting city, state and university employees—legislation the union is challenging in court.
The SEIU and the Teamsters joined the Preckwinkle Administration in pushing for passage of HB 1154, making the effort to defeat it all the more challenging. But grassroots lobbying by AFSCME members helped turn the tide.
“The common wisdom is that the County will try again to pass this bill when the General Assembly reconvenes in the fall, but we hope that’s not the case,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer said. “We would much prefer to see the County reopen discussions with AFSCME and other concerned unions and work constructively to develop a shared solution that we can all work together to pass in the General Assembly.”
If the County refuses to pursue such a path, AFSCME members will once again be called upon to make sure their legislators don’t support the Administration’s plan.
“We’ve demonstrated that with compelling facts, allies in other unions, and a vigorous grassroots lobbying effort, we could achieve what many deemed impossible—putting the brakes on the County’s 'fast track' pension bill,” Bayer said. “Now we’ve got to make sure that we are ready and able to do it again if needed.”
To see how your state senator voted on HB 1154, click here. If he or she voted YES, call them via the AFSCME legislative hotline at 888-912-5959 to urge a NO vote next time.