Active and retired teachers and all state employees. We’re all in this together.

Photo: Fred Klonsky

From Illinois Retired Teachers Association:

Greetings from the Illinois Retired Teachers Association.  [Some members of the General Assembly] want to solve the state’s budget woes with your money, and they blame you. They offered you a coerced choice to give up your COLA for access to an unguaranteed health insurance plan.

We must prepare for the possibility that one of these attacks may succeed. For that reason, IRTA has launched the IRTA Legal Defense Fund. Please watch the following video for an explanation and then forward it to your contacts and members. We must reach ALL members to build a large legal defense fund.
Click to watch the YouTube video for Legal Defense Fund Explanation – Click Here 

This is the address for sending donations to the Legal Defense Fund:

IRTA
620 N. Walnut St.
Springfield, IL 62702

Please make your check payable to IRTA and write “Legal Defense Fund” on the check memo line. 

Or

Go to the IRTA website and Click on Donate online at 

http://www.irtaonline.org/Events.aspx#legal defense

From the We Are One coalition of Illinois public employee unions:

Politicians are expected to return to Springfield on Tuesday, December 3, to vote on a new pension bill that will likely be as damaging to public employees and retirees as any yet proposed.

This is it – the biggest legislative threat to our retirement security that we’ve faced.

And our response has to be just as big. This is a real emergency situation. So We Are One Illinois is calling for a series of Pension Emergency Action Days beginning next week. 

*Pension Emergency Call-In Days – November 25-26, Dec. 2-3 – We will swamp the switchboards of every legislator on these four days. No matter how many times you’ve called your legislators, call again. Call both your representative and your senator. Be sure to leave a strong, clear message “VOTE NO ON ANY PENSION BILL THAT DOESN’T HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE WE ARE ONE UNION COALITION.” Our hotline is 888-412-6570 or click here to call on November 25-26 and December 2-3.

*Pension Emergency Legislative District Actions – Monday, December 2 – We’ll be targeting the district offices of key legislators all across the state for a vigorous grassroots lobbying effort with as many union members and retirees as possible in attendance. Check with your local unions and/or retiree subchapters to see if there is an event in your area — our coalition’s unions will be reaching out to involve their members and retirees in this action day. Then clear your schedule NOW so that you can make sure legislators in your area feel the heat.

The new bill will likely have the backing of all four legislative leaders. It will blend unfair, unconstitutional elements from old, failed bills – such as cutting COLAs by one-third or more, hiking retirement ages, undermining pensions by expanding 401(k)’s, and other devastating pension cuts. With the leaders’ behind this scheme, it will take everything we’ve got to stop it. So be prepared to give it your all.

It’s also likely that the leaders will unveil their scheme quickly and try to jam it through the House and the Senate without enough time for open hearings or public review.

Don’t wait to lobby till next week. You can get started TODAY. E-mail your lawmakers right now and tell them you oppose the leaders’ extreme pension scheme by clicking here. It’s fast and easy, and you can personalize your message.

Then get ready to call your state representative and your state senator on our call-action days – November 25-26 and December 2-3.

The threat to retirement security has never been greater – or more outrageous. But, together, we have defied the odds before and defeated harmful pension legislation. To be successful again, your lawmakers must hear from you – repeatedly – as a constituent and as a voter.