Union activism protects IMRF pensions

An outpouring of opposition has halted a bill that would have abolished the so-called "thirteenth check" that helps Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) pensions keep pace with inflation. State representative Deb Conroy has filed a motion to table the bill, House Bill 3898.

The legislation was sparked by a phony "scandal" manufactured by the right-wing Illinois Policy Institute, a corporate-backed anti-government group that seeks to abolish all public employee pensions. The IPI attacked the "thirteenth check" as a "bonus," claiming it was "like retirees winning the lottery every year."

In reality, the modest provision enables IMRF participants -- local government retirees outside of Chicago and Cook County, who don't receive a compounded COLA -- to keep up with rising costs in retirement.

While Rep. Conroy's misguided bill had cleared a House committee on a bipartisan 10-0 vote. But then AFSCME and our labor partners in the We Are One Illinois coalition went into high gear. We generated hundreds of phone calls directly to Rep. Conroy as well as to legislators across the state. Active and retired IMRF participants explained that the bill would undercut the inflation protection they depend on.

It's rare that we can stop a bill right in its tracks, but that's what we have done in this case. Hopefully the outpouring of opposition was strong enough that no other legislator will attempt to move a similar bill.