Retired teachers to IEA leadership: “We await your clarion call!”
It has been ten days since the IEA RA passed NBI 16 which was a call to arms to fight to protect the pensions of both active and retired teachers. Since many legislators are on break this week, it is a perfect time to mobilize our membership.
From Bob Haisman, former IEA President and active retiree:
I sent the letter below — to Ken Swanson today — It refers to NBI# 16 passed at the IEA RA a week ago. I waited a week from the RA to bug him but I’m very, very serious about motivating our members to get involved in saving our pensions! I worked with the leadership of IEA to write and pass this NBI#16 — I plan to work as close to IEA as they will allow to implement NBI #16.
I know all the reasons why – NBI #16 — Can Not Work. I know we don’t have enough time. I hear all the talk that are members are apathetic, unmotivated, clueless! But even though – at my advanced age — I can only balance one ball in the air right now — not 15 — NBI #16 is that Ball, This Spring!! We are ALL Leaders! My definition of leadership – is a person who motivates, points the direction, get people to stand up and fight!!! I believe One Person can make a difference but I also know that a whole lot of people stirring the pot, agitating can really make things explode! HELP ME AGITATE OUR COLLEAGUES!
I know the array of forces against us – “Pension Envy”, every Republican in the state, Powerful Democrats like Speaker Madigan and the corporate and conservative forces who want to strip us of our pensions and make us be workers at Walmart in our golden years! I know the “conventional wisdom” is that we are but mere NATS attacking Michael Madigan’s right ear — but I refuse to lie down. I refuse to go silently into the night as they trash my pension! I refuse to stand by frozen into inaction as Speaker Madigan and Minority Leader Tom Cross scrawl a huge, mean spirited bulls-eye on current teacher’s backs! I KNOW that working with the IEA’s Retired Teacher Advocates we can Motivate our colleagues to fight back. I KNOW that Working with the IEA we can begin to light a fire under the current teachers — convincing them that their Pensions are in GRAVE JEOPARDY!
IEA was happy with 4000 letter/contacts of our members to legislators during the veto session. We have got to do better than that this spring! Help me do better than that. help me …help the IEA awake the sleeping giant!
10,000 ‘contacts’ would make Cross and Madigan look up from their war plans against teachers…..30,000 might make them step back. In 1994 Senator Phillips and Speaker Daniels were convinced they could end tenure and the right to strike. We shut down Republican Legislative Offices — they backed off. It’s time to motivate our people to stand up and fight.
I have no office. I was elected to nothing. I pledge to you all that I have NO Political aspirations to run for anything! All I want to do is do what I can as one person to begin to empower our Retired Colleagues to stand up! Not in 2012. Not in July of 2011 ! But starting in March of 2011! We need your Help!
I welcome ideas, suggestions, offers of help….We need your help!
bob haisman
gardenoprf@sbcglobal.net 708 997 1993 — till May 31, 2011 — call me 24- 7!Hi Ken!
I know you have been a busy man since the RA! I find it difficult to believe that it has already been 10 days since the RA ended!
Once again I want to Thank You for all your advice, council and editing to get “Preserve Our Pensions” — NBI #16 — ready for presentation to the IEA RA!
I want you to know I’m ready to help in any way, as our a number of IEA-R members — on getting to work and help implement NBI #16.
I would very much like to be part of any group that may be tasked with making a proactive, grass roots effort to turn IEA-R and the other retired teachers — into “pension advocates” this spring!
I know the retired delegates and members who were behind this effort are acutely aware of the difficulty of our task and the incredibly short time lines.
We would like to start tomorrow!
We await your “Clarion Call’!
bob haisman
I have a question: IF you paid into the penison, how can they do away with the system for active and retired teachers? It’s your money. We have different rules for new hirees, that we negotiated to protect current pensions, and from what I hear most state pension systems are sound. I find it quite odd that every state is “broke” at the same time.
Illinois has a constitutionally protected system of state employee pensions. However, over many years the legislature has not met its obligations to adequately fund the systems. This is not due to any recent economic crisis, but as a result of years of failing to pay what they promised. Now the state owes somewhere between $85 and $100 billion dollars to the various pensions.
It is unclear what the state can or will do. Some have argued that while they can’t do away with the pensions systems, they can change what employees must contribute. This would make the system so burdensome to the employee that it would force them to withdraw into a defined contribution system.
What is clear is that the aim of the corporate interests which fund both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party is to destroy the current system of defined benefit public employee pensions.
Your last paragraph makes sense from their point of view, and I understand the under funding aspect.. In our state I think it’s in 2013 that they are going to have to make up for improperly funding it (but maybe I misunderstood it. Going to check).
This is what happened in PA.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_685786.html
My personal portfolio made a decent comeback, so how does the stock market loss still hold true? I’ll go with their non contribution, because PSERS investments are not risky.