There is no higher priority right now for IEA leaders and staff than protecting the pensions of our members. IEA informs us they are committed to getting every IEA member the pension that has been promised.

IEA is part of the We Are One Illinois coalition. The coalition is, with one voice, advocating for public employees by entering into discussions with Gov. Quinn and the leaders of the Illinois House and Senate.

We believe that those planning to draft pension legislation must hear the voices of the union members impacted by pension changes. If we aren’t in the room, our members’ voices will not be heard.

The labor coalition, including IEA, opposes the governor’s plan.

It’s crucial that you:

• Visit the IEA website regularly for the latest information.
• Subscribe to the IEA Facebook and twitter feeds (links at www.ieanea.org.
• Make sure you’re getting the IEA insider and Capitol Report via email.
• Make sure IEA has your home email address on file. If there is a sudden move to pass legislation, we will want to let you know instantly. Many school districts block Association email, so please update your member profile today and give us the email address that will allow you to be reached quickly.

Going forward

To ensure that the members of the coalition organizations are getting the best possible representation, the unions have hired top-flight attorneys who will help determine the constitutionality of Gov. Quinn’s proposal and all future proposals.

It’s important to understand that the governor’s proposal is just that, a proposal. It’s not a bill; many details are unknown and it’s impossible for the unions to answer many questions about the governor’s proposal. You can read An analysis by TRS by following this link.

Nevertheless, we’re urging IEA members to contact their legislators immediately to tell them to oppose the proposal and all unconstitutional pension proposals.

More about how to fight for your pension

Send an email through the IEA website.

Be connected by phone with your legislator via We Are One Illinois.

To be supported by IEA, a proposal must:

• Be constitutional.
• Be fair to the participants in the pension systems.
• Bring stability to the pension systems.
  

Colleagues, we are in the fight of our lives. Every IEA member needs to get involved.

Thank you for your activism. May will be a memorable month for IEA members. By standing together, we can get the best possible result for all the participants in the pension systems.