IMRF Trustee election: protect your pension

Three seats on the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Board of Trustees are at stake in a mail-ballot election starting November 2.

The IMRF Board plays a crucial role in protecting and defending the pensions on which we all depend for a secure retirement. AFSCME members who work for or are retired from any municipality, county, school district or other unit of local government (except the City of Chicago or Cook County) are eligible to vote.

Frontline workers need to preserve our voice and protect our pensions. AFSCME and the Illinois Education Association are supporting John Piechocinski and Trudy Williams (for employee representatives) and Sharon Thompson (for retiree representation) in the upcoming Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Trustee election.

You are eligible to vote in this trustee election if you were an active IMRF member or annuitant during the month of September, 2015. On or around Nov. 2, eligible voters will receive a ballot with a postage-paid return envelope, ballot instructions and candidate biographies.

It is more important than ever to ensure that we have a voice in the decisions that affect our retirement. Other trustee candidates are management representatives and can’t be counted on to stand up against attempts to reduce pension funding or benefits. Employers, by law, already have four seats on the IMRF Board.

Frontline workers must act decisively in this election or they could lose their voice on the board. John, Trudy and Sharon are experienced advocates who know the importance of protecting pension benefits of public employees. They will fight to ensure the IMRF is properly funded and pension benefits are protected.

Employee Representatives:

Employees may vote for two candidates, so mark your ballot for Trudy AND John.

	TRUDY WILLIAMS is President of AFSCME Local 3433 and an AFSCME Council 31 Executive Board member. She is an Administrative Assistant in the Fulton County State’s Attorney’s Office. Trudy is committed to preserving the fiscal stability of our pension fund.
	JOHN PIECHOCINSKI has been an IMRF Employee Trustee since 2011. As the Head Custodian for Plainfield Community Consolidated School District, John is an Illinois Education Association member and dedicated advocate for employee participants.

Retiree Representative:

SHARON THOMPSON has been an IMRF Annuitant Trustee for 15 years. She is an AFSCME retiree and former Lee County Treasurer. Sharon is committed to continuing her work to preserve the defined benefit plan for workers and retirees.

As soon as you receive your IMRF Trustees ballot, mark it for John Piechocinski AND Trudy Williams if you are an employee or Sharon Thompson if you are a retiree and return it right away.