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The Chicago Way: Two Union Pensions for the Same Job
Insane is not even the word – more like a misappropriation of public funds.
A labor leader in Chicago is expected to receive pension payments of nearly $500,000 a year, while another could get about $438,000 a year, according to reports Wednesday
The Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV, which obtained information about union pension benefits during a joint investigation, said at least eight union officials in Chicago were eligible for what were described as inflated city pensions on top of union pensions for the same period of employment.
The news organizations said this was due to “a charitable interpretation” of Illinois law by officials representing two city pension funds.
“Can you name any place in the world where someone can get two pensions for the same job?” state Rep. Tom Cross, a Republican, told the paper. “Even by our standards here in Illinois, it’s beyond belief. It’s insane.”
Chicago and Illinois are facing financial trouble, in part due to pension shortfalls.
On Tuesday, state Sen. Mark Kirk released a report on Illinois’ debt that said it had the worst credit rating of any state and that its debt was rising, NBC Chicago reported.
Just more of the same, unfortunately.
California local public employee unions have been ripping off the system for decades.
Now, there is no money to pay them and the taxpayers are saying: what happened?
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Video: Union Leaders Teach Advanced Thug Tactics in University of Missouri Labor Courses
If you ever wondered if today’s LEFTIST union leaders ever read Saul Alinsky, now you know.
The University of Missouri has an expansive $1.9 billion enterprise with an operating budget of $500 million which, according to its website, 37% comes through state appropriations. While the University’s Institute of Labor Studies may only be a small fraction of its budget, one must wonder why tax dollars are being used to fund a program that espouses Communism, teaches tactics in industrial sabotage (including stalking CEOs, using members to insinuate sabotage, as well as the killing of cats), and convincing union members that their “group goals” are more important than their individual goals.
The videos you are about to see [via BigGovernment] are of two “educators” holding courses via video conference through the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). The courses are an Introduction to Labor Studies and Labor Politics and Society. The instructors are Judy Ancel, Director of UMKC’s Institute of Labor Studies and Don Giljum, a self-described Communist and Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 148.
Watch the videos and understand why companies like Boeing Corporation are moving their manufacturing facilities to Right to Work states.
Video #2:
After watching both videos, do you now understand the Wisconsin public employee protests at the State Capitol and the various intimidation tactics used against Governor Scott Walker and GOP legislators?Exit question: In light of this knowledge, of how the unions create chaos as a bargaining tactic, do Americans really want public employee unions collectively bargaining with the government?
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2010 Union Membership in United States Falls Below 12% for the First Time
The good Professor Mark Perry has the sad news for the Democratic Left who are dependent upon the unions for money and manpower to run their political campaigns.Union membership in the U.S. fell to an all-time historical low of 11.9% of all workers in 2010, which is less than half of the 24.5% share in 1979, according to new data from the BLS.
Of course, there has to be some snark from Mickey Kaus the right-leaning Democrat.
Unions Are Latinos in Reverse: For at least a decade both the Democrats and Republicans have been lectured by journalists, strategists, and assorted members of the Bush clique that the Latino vote is growing, so they’d better do what those voters want (which, we’re told, is give illegal immigrants amnesty). And the Latino vote is growing … But not every voting bloc is doing so well. Specifically, the union vote is shrinking. According to just released numbers, the nation’s unionization rate has fallen to less than 7 percent of private sector workers, and to less than 12 percent of all workers (counting the heavily unionized public sector). The long-term trend of decline is seemingly unrelenting. To borrow a phrase from President Obama, these are yesterday’s voters! If Dems need to suck up to expanding groups, by the same logic shouldn’t they be abandoning shrinking groups?
Indeed, in California, look what the public sector unions have brought or should I say bought – a majority Democratic Party and a bankrupt state.
Tomorrow, I will post about the new illegal immigration numbers.