11 March 2014

AFSCME Sub-chapter 161

Dear member;

We will meet again at Ruby Tuesdays Restaurant at 5203 Old Orchard Road, Skokie, Il. On Wednesday, March 19th.The meeting starts at 11 AM.

Our guest speaker is Ms. Bea Lumpkin, an author and union activist. You won’t want to miss her talk. Click here to RSVP when you finish reading this.

This is primary election time and early voting has started. Please read about Bruce Rauner at our blogsite. Tell you friends, family and neighbors about his past financial dealings. Get a Republican ballot. Vote for Dillard. At this time, I’m asking you to do political damage control.

I also want you to ask you to help John Metz staff his blog operation with people who enjoy reading, researching, and writing. Join his group or act as scouts who suggest people we should invite to join. Click here if you are interested in working on our eCommunications Committee.

As members, we want this blogsite to be a tool and a place we can go to find information that affects us. Information we might not have the time to research on our own . With the information we find and share, we help build a consensus about what we must do to repeal last December’s law. That is why staffing and building this site is everyone’s business.

Last January, I closed with this message:

“If politics is the art of the possible, then grassroots community action is required to create a basis for new political possibilities. We will have to build the required power to get reform in Illinois. No one will give it to us. We’ll have to fight for it, then use it . Doing nothing isn’t an option. The legislature will cut our pensions, benefits, and needed services because of money. Illinois has a debt problem because the legislators never dealt with the structural revenue problem. Our job is solving that problem.”

Let’s get with it.

Sincerely,

Charles Hogan

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Subject:  The REAL Bruce Rauner
From:     AFSCME Council 31 (AFSCME31crafscme31 org)
To:          AFSCME310afscme31.org
Date:      Monday, February 17, 2014 12:58 PM

Who is the REAL Bruce Rauner? The top 10 things you should know

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Rauner bills himself as a ^–breath of fresh air^– in the race for governor, but when you do your homework, you’ll find his words and actions are polluted. Take a look at the top 10 things you need to know about the REAL Bruce Rauner before casting your ballot. Spoiler alert: he’s a hypocrite.

9.    Rauner loves to bash Democrats, but fails to mention that he’s a big supporter and personal friend of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. While working with Rauner in the late ’90s, Emanuel made $18 million, which helped spur his run for elective office.

10.   Rauner supports “right-to-work” laws that would rob you of your rights to form strong, viable unions. These laws also drive down wages, benefits, and the overall standard of living for anyone outside of Rauners 1%, who stand to get richer as the income inequality gap widens.

Billionaire Bruce Rauner has already contributed more than $2 million of his own money to his campaign, with a number of wealthy friends chipping in six-figure contributions and more to come. He is trying to determine the outcome of this election the only way he knows how: by buying it. Rauner is saturating the airwaves with deceptive commercials, hoping you won’t read or share these facts. His money won’t talk if we speak truth to power. Spread the word today.

https://us-mg205.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.partner—sbc&..rand=2c6qk3e… 2/19/2014

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From: “Dave Amerson” <DAmerson@afscme31.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2014 2:26:08 PM
Subject: AFSCME and the Primary Elections

Good afternoon,

My name is David Amerson and I am the Retiree Coordinator for AFSCME Council 31.

As all of you are likely aware, the past year has been an especially hard time to be a state retiree. Politicians have come after your dental, your medical insurance, your pension, and they show no signs of stopping there.

The primary election is March 18th, and this is our best opportunity to send a message to anti-retiree politicians that AFSCME Retirees is a force to be reckoned with. In the governor’s race for the GOP, the AFSCME PEOPLE committee has endorsed Kirk Dillard. Kirk voted NO on the pension bill in December that would diminish your COLA if it is allowed to go into effect. But even more importantly, he is the Republican with the best shot of beating Bruce Rauner. As many of you know, Bruce Rauner has dedicated his campaign to making villains out of retirees and unions, and has even said that the December pension-theft bill “did not go far enough” in stealing your retirement benefits.

Bruce Rauner presents a very real threat to your retirement security and the union’s ability to defend your benefits.

Well, now it’s our turn to fight back. But for us to be successful, we need to get the word out to our fellow retirees.

Next week there will be a phone-banking opportunity for retirees looking to get involved in the primary election. We will be calling our fellow retirees to get the word out about Kirk Dillard and Bruce Rauner, as well as other Chicago-area candidates that we are supporting.

The phone-banks will be at the Chicago AFSCME Headquarters 205 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2100 at the following time:

Wednesday, March 12th–  12pm-3pm
Lunch will be provided.

Some of us may have never pulled a Republican ballot in the primary before, some of us may be life-long Republicans. For this particular election though, to defeat the very real threat that Rauner poses to your retirement security I urge you to not only pull a Republican ballot and vote Dillard, but also to help get the word out to our fellow retirees on the phone this week. I hope to see you then.

David Amerson

AFSCME Council 31, Retiree Program Coordinator
615 South 2nd
Springfield, IL 62705-2328
W (217) 757-3314
F   (217) 753-2005
damerson@afscme31.org

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Click here to see a related comment by David Rolston in our Member’s Forum.

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From: “Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans” <illinoisara@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2014 3:04:23 PM
Subject: Fair Tax Lobby Day at State Capitol

Dear Illinois Alliance member,

Join us for a fair tax lobby day on Thursday, March 27th to call on our legislators to support a fair tax – with higher rates for higher incomes, and lower rates for lower incomes. Please see below and the attached flier for the details.

It’s time to get our priorities straight and give seniors and working families a fair shake. We need a more accountable government that protects health care, public safety, education and services for seniors. We hope you will join us for this important lobby day.

Fair Tax Lobby Day at State Capitol

SOUTH CHICAGO

6:30 AM – First Stop
Walgreens @ 55th & Wentworth

6:55 AM – Second Stop
Jewel Osco @ 87th & Dan Ryan

7:15 AM – Third Stop
Kmart @ 176th & Halsted

CHICAGO

7:00 AM
Service Employees International Union @ 2229 S Halsted

11:00am: Training & Lunch at State House Inn

11:45am: Go to State Capitol Rotunda

12:00pm: Rally at State Capitol Rotunda

12:30pm: Legislative Visits

2:00pm: Debrief at State House Inn

2:30pm: Buses Depart

– Breakfast, snacks and box lunches will be provided

– Transportation from State House Inn to the Capitol will be provided for anyone that needs it

– There will be sufficient seating in the rotunda for those that need it

TO RESERVE A SEAT, CONTACT:
Hannah Lloyd, A Better Illinois
(434) 238-2194 or hannah@abetterillinois.org

In Solidarity,

Emily Stuart
Executive Director
Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans
www.illinoisretiredamericans.org
27 East Monroe Street | Suite 1100 | Chicago, IL 60603
Office: 312-427-2114 ext. 207 | Fax: 312-379-0313

On Wednesday, February 19, members of Subchapter 161joined hundreds of others from across the State to conduct a one day lobbying blitz.  The goal was to persuade legislators to join us in seeking constructive solutions to state and local revenue problems. Karen Lewis (President Chicago Teachers Union), Henry Bayer (Executive Director, AFSCME Council 31), Christine Boardman (President SEIU Local 73) and others addressed the issue of pension theft. (Picture and text courtesy of Walt Esler)

From: “A Better Illinois” <info@abetterillinois.org>

Sent: Tuesday, January 7, 2014 4:32:54 PM

Subject: This is it

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Message from Mary Bennett, Phone Committee Chair:

I want to take the opportunity to thank Charles Hogan, Walt and Jenny Esler and David Rolston who made phone calls to fellow members encouraging them to contact legislators..  Because of the combined efforts of everyone on the committee, we were able to generate approximately 400 direct contacts to members.  Although we lost  the battle, the war is not over.  This is a marathon not a sprint.  The closeness of the final vote demonstrates that our phone calls had a positive impact.  We are always looking for volunteers to join our phone committee.  You can contact Mary Bennett, Chair of the Telephone Committee at 773-583-3651 or e-mail me at Bennett5849@gmail.com or Charles Hogan at (773) 679-9255 or e-mail chocgan9494@sbcglobal.net

Message from member Walter Esler:

Adam Andrzejewski, writing at Huff Post examines the little known H1b Visa program, which is used to outsource US jobs. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has been pushing the program, according to Andrzejewski. Under the program, jobs which would normally be filled by Illinois residents are instead filled by Indian nationals, called H1b visa holders. View the article by clicking here.

The H1b visa holders earn no pension credit and are not eligible to join a union apply for citizenship. Workers hired under the program costs about 30% more than union members, even when the costs of pensions and other benefits are factored in.

Also, the first suits in defense of our pensions have been filed.  For further information, click here.

January 15 meeting:

Rich Whitney is scheduled to be the speaker for our next meeting at Ruby Tuesdays (5203 Old Orchard Rd, Skokie, 11 o’clock, Wednesday, January 15).  Mr. Whitney’s thoughts about the Illinois “pension crisis” can be found by clicking here.

One member’s letter to his state senator (Mr. Esler invites other members to use his letter as a model for their own):

Dear Senator Martinez,

I can’t think of any reason why retirees should agree to give up any part of their pension. Very few can afford the financial sacrifice involved. Most of us would never have been willing to work for you had we thought for an instant that you never intended to actually pay what you had promised us. We couldn’t have afforded to. We were working to support our families and had been promised a secure retirement when we were too old to work any more.

Those of us who grew up Catholic will remember that oppression of widows and injustice to wage earners are among the very worst of the sins. Justice is 100% on our side. Very few issues in life are as clear cut as this one. You’re on the wrong side of this important moral issue. Here is a link to the Catholic Catechism:  http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm

Everyone noticed that you were distributing our pension money to ADM and other corporations within minutes of passing SB1. Perhaps you don’t have a sense of right and wrong.

Have you at least a sense of shame? You’re attacking one of the State’s most vulnerable populations in order to enrich corrupt corporations like ADM.

The State has enormous financial resources. Most corporations (70%) pay $0 in taxes. It’s time to make them pay their share in state and local taxes. That would wipe out the State’s deficits in a matter of weeks.

The numbers coming out of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability tell us the State’s got plenty in resources.

I think you should pay us what you owe us.

Best Regards,

Walter Esler

Subchapter 161 member Walter Esler has published an analysis of the alleged basis of the current “pension crisis” (http://northsidegreenparty.org/drupal/node/504).  The report may be viewed by clicking here.

From bimontly emailing, November 23, 2013

22 November 2013

Sub-Chapter 161 member:

I have received an urgent request from AFSCME Council 31’s leaders and the Council 31 Retiree leadership asking members to contact their State Senator and Representative. The legislative leaders in both houses are calling a legislative session on Dec 3^rd to deal with the “Pension Crisis”.

Our pension benefits and annual cost to the budget didn’t cause the “Crisis”. Illinois has a serious systemic revenue problem it has neglected for years. By not paying its annual pension contributions (as you did), the state owes the pension systems almost $100 Billion. By not dealing with the first problem (Lack of operating revenue) , they now find themselves with 2 problems.

Let’s be clear. Should the legislators succeed in eliminating our pensions, they would still have the original problem (not enough revenue to cover  operating expenses), plus mounting expenses of the living costs we can no longer pay. What we can’t pay, our friends, family and others will have to pay in state, local and property taxes.

I am asking you to join me and others in calling your legislators now. Call the district office. Have a short, prepared statement. Tell the legislator or their staff person your situation. That they are not to vote to reduce or abolish your pension and benefits. Be succinct, be polite, and be firm. Keep in mind we will be calling in the future; and your listener also wants to have a pension when they retire.

If you are an IMRF retiree, you might assume because that system is better funded, you won’t be affected. Think again. The state’s failure to deal with its revenue shortfall has caused local governments to increase your property taxes which erode your pension’s buying power.

Do this for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it knowing that your one act will be part of an organized community effort that will move our legislators to action.

Charles Hogan, President

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From: “David Amerson, AFSCME Retirees” <webaction@afscme31.org>
To:
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 9:35:49 AM
Subject: Pension Emergency Action Plan

PENSION EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN

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 SERS, SURS and TRS retirees as any yet proposed.

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

Our response has to be just as big. This is a real emergency situation. AFSCME Retirees, along with the We Are One Illinois union coalition, 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’ve got to completely 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.”

• Pension Emergency Legislative District Actions – Monday, December 2: We’ll be targeting the district offices of key “persuadable” legislators all across the state for a vigorous grassroots lobbying effort with as many union members and retirees as possible in attendance. Clear your schedule NOW so that you can make sure legislators in your area feel the heat. Details about these actions will be coming soon, but our ability to turn out will be critical to retirement security. Also, talk to every person you know, whether they be fellow state retirees, retirees from other systems, or even just people that believe public employees have a right to the benefits they were promised, and get them to turn out, too.

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 legislative leaders behind this scheme, it will take everything we’ve got to stop it. So be prepared to give it your all.

Click here to sign up for the AFSCME Council 31 Action Center. Click here to tell a friend about the AFSCME Council 31 Action Center.

(Not all links below are active–clicking on an image may enlarge it)

From: “David Amerson, AFSCME Retirees” <webaction@afscmeillinois.org>

To: 
Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2013 5:04:34 PM
Subject: D-Day for pensions?

Important Updates for State of Illinois and State University Retirees

In This Bulletin:

• D-Day for pensions?
• Medicare Advantage info meetings
• Dependent Verification Audit
• Fixing the state’s finances
• Legislators fail to pay back wages

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D-Day for pensions – December 3? The General Assembly’s four legislative leaders have been meeting in secret for weeks to cook up a pension bill that they all agree on. Their plan is to jam it through in just a day or two without any time for public review or grassroots lobbying.

And now it looks like they’re moving forward with that plan. Word came out today that both the House and Senate have told legislators to come back into session the first week of December, most likely December 3.

Last spring the House and Senate passed vastly different bills, with the House backing SB 1, which makes steep cuts to the benefits of both active and retired employees, while the Senate supported SB 2404, which was negotiated with the We Are One Illinois union coalition and makes only modest changes to the pension plans.

Nobody knows yet what this new agreement is, but rumor has it that the final bill will be very close to SB 1, the plan backed by House Speaker Michael Madigan that would slash your pension benefits by more than 30%.

Now it looks like all four legislative leaders are prepared to put the squeeze on rank-and-file legislators who’ve stood with public employees and retirees in the past. It’s going to be critically important that your legislators hear from you—and that they know how strongly you oppose any bill that makes drastic cuts to your pension benefits.

We’ve got to be ready to take immediate action. The We Are One Illinois union coalition is putting a grassroots lobbying plan in place right now. Details will be coming to you soon. When you get the call, make sure you respond. There won’t be any second chances. If we don’t stop this bill now, it will almost certainly become law.

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Medicare Advantage info meetings get underway – Last week we sent you answers to the most-frequently asked questions AFSCME Retirees Chapter 31 has been getting about the changes to the state’s health insurance program for SERS and SURS retirees. This week meetings sponsored by the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) got underway to provide a full explanation of how the new Medicare Advantage program will work. Meetings are scheduled at locations throughout the state. Click here for a list of all meetings and locations. Unless otherwise noted there will be two meetings at each location, one at 9:30 a.m. and another at 1:30 p.m.

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Dependent Verification Audit deadline – For the first time, the State of Illinois has hired an outside contractor to conduct a comprehensive audit of dependent eligibility for health care coverage. This Dependent Verification Audit, which is being conducted by HMS Employer Solutions, is now in progress. All retirees who are carrying a dependent on their state health insurance coverage are required to comply or risk losing their state health insurance benefits.

The deadline to comply with the audit is December 6th. Retirees Chapter 31 expressed objections to the manner in which the state is conducting this audit, but CMS was unwilling to make any changes to the procedure. All SERS and SURS retirees who have a covered dependent on their state insurance should be sure to comply with the audit instructions so as not to risk losing their state health insurance.

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Fixing the state’s finances – Among the most crucial resolutions passed by delegates to last month’s AFSCME Retirees Chapter 31 biennial convention was a measure to endorse A Better Illinois, the campaign to amend the Illinois Constitution and permit a “fair tax” – an income tax with higher rates for those with higher incomes, and lower rates for lower incomes.

Thirty-five other states already have such a fair tax structure in place, but our state’s constitution currently bars it here.

Without the fair tax, the state’s finances could get even worse. The temporary tax increase passed in 2010 is set to expire at the end of 2014, reducing state revenues by some $5 billion a year and threatening unthinkable cuts to vital services that would result in massive layoffs.

That’s why AFSCME Retirees is one of more than 100 organizations endorsing A Better Illinois and its campaign to replace the broken “flat tax” with a fair tax—one that allows higher rates for rich people and big corporations with higher incomes, and lower rates for working people and small businesses with lower incomes. A recent statewide poll found that 92% of voters agree that “the tax system in Illinois is broken and needs to be fixed,” 82% say that “too often, rich people avoid paying their fair of taxes” and 77% support an amendment to allow a fair tax in Illinois.

The fair tax requires amending the Constitution. This can only be done by the state Senate and House each passing a resolution with a super-majority before May 2014, then putting the question on the November 2014 ballot for approval by the voters.

The campaign has already built strong momentum. Today, more than 60 legislators are co-sponsoring legislation to allow the fair tax constitutional amendment to be placed on the November ballot. You can learn more about A Better Illinois at www.ABetterIllinois.org.

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Legislators fail to pay back wages – Legislators returned to Springfield for the Fall Veto Session with their pay problems solved. When Governor Quinn vetoed monies appropriated for their pay, they rushed to court to challenge his actions. In no time flat, the court ruled they should get their money. And they did.

But somehow many of them seem to think it’s OK not to pay the money that’s owed to state workers, some of whom have now retired without receiving the money they’re owed.

Legislators wrapped up the Veto Session without taking action on a supplemental appropriation to pay the money that’s owed.

While some retirees received all or a portion of their back pay as a result of pay-outs from funds AFSCME convinced the court to escrow for that purpose, others are still owed all or a portion of the wage increases that were withheld in FY 2011 and FY 2012.

During the second week of Veto Session, AFSCME held a Back Pay Action Day at the State Capitol to urge key legislators to speak out more strongly for action on a supplemental appropriation. Twenty-five teams of AFSCME local leaders from across the state travelled to Springfield to present “Collection Notices” to their legislators and press them to stand up wage justice. Almost every legislator they visited pledged to do more to help.

It’s crucial to keep the pressure on every legislator until all employees—active and retired—are paid the money they’re owed.

If you’re among those affected, call, e-mail, text or visit your state representative and state senator NOW to let them know how disappointed you are that the General Assembly failed to take action to ensure that you are paid the money you’re owed. Tell them that the next time they return to Springfield, paying this debt should be at the top of their list.

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The Illinois Labor History Society Annual Hall of Honor Dinner–click here for details.

All AFSCME Retirees will face changes in Pensions and Healthcare Benefits in the near future. Some information may be found by clicking here.

Our regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 11:00 at Ruby Tuesdays Restaurant, 5203 Old Orchard Rd., Skokie will provide as much information as possible about upcoming changes.  Our speaker will be David Amerson from AFSCME Council 31.  Below is some information about Healthcare changes provided by Mr. Amerson but we expect that more information will be available by November 20.

THE TRUTH ABOUT PUBLIC PENSIONS
WE ARE ONE ILLINOIS

ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICES

Firefighters and police, teachers and nurses, child protection workers

and disability caregivers are just some of the public employees that

Illinois residents rely on every day, in every community, in every part of the state.

POLITICIANS CAUSED PENSION DEBT

For decades, Illinois politicians shorted or skipped the employer contributions required by law, creating the nation’s largest pension debt. All that time, public employees paid their fair share. It’s wrong to punish public employees for the actions—or inaction—of irresponsible politicians.

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES PAY

A public employee’s pension is his or her own life savings—they typically contribute 8 percent, 9 percent or more from each paycheck to their pension fund. Illinois public employees have always paid their share, faithfully and in full.

NO SOCIAL SECURITY

Most Illinois public employees are ineligible for Social Security. Unlike every private-sector worker in America, police and firefighters, teachers and university employees, city of Chicago and Cook County employees don’t qualify for Social Security. Reducing the pension they earn would leave many public employees with little to fall back on in retirement.

PENSIONS ARE MODEST

Illinois public employees retire on very modest pensions—on average just $32,000 a year after a career dedicated to public service. Many receive much less than this average amount.

PROTECTED BY THE CONSTITUTION

The Illinois Constitution states that membership in a public pension system is an enforceable contractual relationship, “the benefits of which may not be diminished or impaired.” Legislation violating this constitutional protection will cause a costly and wasteful court challenge.

(Links below are not active)

Information:

Medicare Rights: Medicare–Strong and Built to Last

AFSCME Facts: The Truth about Public Service Workers’ Pensions

AFSCME Legislative Fact Sheet: The Affordable Care Act: What it Means for Illinois Seniors

CMS: Important Retiree Healthcare Benefit Information

David Amerson from AFSCME Council 31 provides important updates for members. Click here to view the message (links on message not active).

Mary Bennett recommends the following:

Breaking the Social Security Glass Ceiling: 
A Proposal to Modernize Women’s Benefits

Action suggested:

We are One Illinois advises that members oppose the draft council committee proposal. Click here to view the message (links on message not active).

Pat Reed recommends “Make one call for corporate accountability”. Click here to view the message (links on message not active)