The Silence of the Lambs.
I got a call from my retired friend Ed Rosenthal yesterday.
His voice sounded tired.
He told me that he’s been on the road. Ed lives in the western ‘burbs. He drove down to Springfield to attend the IEA Retired Council meeting. He left a bit early to drive the hour and a half to Champaign where there is a CMS meeting on the new TRAIL Medicare Advantage program.
When he arrived there was no parking left and they weren’t letting anybody into the already-filled room. This was for the second meeting scheduled in Champaign yesterday. The same thing happened at the first one in the morning.
I have heard this story before.
CMS planning: Can’t Manage S**t.
This roll-out of Medicare Advantage to Illinois state employee’s makes any problems with the Obamacare roll-out look microscopic.
Why is the IEA leadership so quiet these days?
Silent on Medicare Advantage.
But silent on two other issues that the membership has questions about.
First is the election for Illinois Governor.
While there have been reports that IEA and the We Are One coalition of state employee unions hare unhappy with Quinn and Vallas, nothing has been said.
Can they really be considering a primary endorsement of these two?
And what if they skip the primary. What will they do a year from now. I can hear the argument now: “Brady (Or Rauner. Or Dillard. Or Rutherford) will be worse. We must vote for Quinn and Vallas.”
When will we have a pro-labor challenge to the Democrats who believe they only have to stake out a position one inch to the right of the Tea Party to get our vote?
Issue number two:
Who doesn’t know that there will be a vote the first week in December to cut retiree COLAs?
Does the IFT and IEA leadership know?
When are they planning to have the membership take action?
After the pumpkin pie is served?
Fred Klonsky 
As an IEA member I get constant Emails from IEA/NEA. NONE of them, however, have anything to do with issues affecting teachers. They are all about “savings” I can achieve at various sales events. (!!!) If there is a political blog for IEA members somewhere, why do I have to opt in to it? Why is it not sent, by default, to ALL members? I wish my school would go IFT, but know there are “no poaching” agreements between the two unions.
yes and amen!
Grrrrrrrrrrr😡
Sent from my iPad
I am furious with the lack of leadership by our IEA (and AFT) “leaders” on the most important issues facing members: pension theft and health care changes. When are we going to see real action from our unions?
Right on all of it!
Sent from Mary Atkinson
If you look at PA 97-695 other issues may be facing retired teachers. TRS outreach, IEA,
IFT were all at the table with CMS related to the health insurance changes. This was stated at the COGFA hearing Oct. 22, 2013. One can hear the entire “hearing” on the Illinois.gov website. It is amazing how leadership is not sharing the FACTS related to retirees.
If they diminish pensions they should be voted out.Hold your nose and vote republican the damage is done.Vote out ALL incumbents .
Nonsense. Name one Republican defending our constitutional pension protection. Not one.
State Rep. Ray Poe.
BS. Representative Poe just voted to cut Chicago Park District employee pensions, commonly seen as a template for what is planned for state employees. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/98/house/09800SB1523_11062013_028000T.pdf
At least IRTA is asking for contributions to a legal fund to prepare for a potential lawsuit in case of a COLA reduction.
What is IEA-Retired doing? So far, nothing.
Illinois makes it extremely difficult for third party and independent candidates to get on the state office ballot by requiring 2 K signatures, while Dems & Reps only need 5K. On top of that, third parties are required to field an entire slate of state candidates! Our “democracy” at work.
Sorry for editing…25K for third party & independents!
Some days I feel as though we’re just lambs going to slaughter. Don’t know who’s worse our unions who want to throw us under the bus or our legislators who are driving the bus.
Everybody, see this WSJ report that UHC is dropping thousands of doctors from its networks: http://news.yahoo.com/unitedhealth-drops-thousands-doctors-insurance-plans-wsj-030014903–finance.html.
If UHC drops a doctor from its network and he/she becomes out-of-network, does the doctor still stay in-network for the UHC PPO?
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131114/METRO01/311140110/1361/Pension-official–Idea-of-foundation-funds–very-encouraging–in-Detroit-bankruptcy
Fred,
I do not know if you read this article, but a possible solution to save the pensions of Detroit’s employees. Very unique proposal.
Thank you for all your hard work.
I heard from Cinda this week. She sent our local union leadership an email encouraging us to not donate to the IRTA defense fund. C’mon, Fred. Priorities, you know.
How can Cinda, aTRS trustee board member, take actions against any retired teachers trying to defend their benefits? Again IFT, IEA,TRS outreach met with CMS and allowed all of this to happen to retirees. (see articles written on Glenn Brown’s Blog)
Shouldn’t the retired teachers get a VOICE in the media, as to what is happening?
Most teachers are making larger salaries than retired teachers age 65+.