Make the Call NOW to Stop Pension Cuts

IEA members and the “We Are One” coalition partners have turned up the heat on politicians who want to cut hard-earned and constitutionally protected pensions for public employees.

From east to west, southern Illinois to the suburbs, IEA members last week rallied, telephoned, picketed, wrote letters, sent e-mails and confronted elected officials who had sought to pass fast track legislation and cut pensions before IEA members and other public servants could mobilize.

What we need now are thousands of individual member telephone calls to legislators!   Don’t rely just on e-mail.  Ask your members to pick up the telephone and call legislators directly.  Tell them that fast track legislation to cut public employee pensions is unfair!  You expect their “NO” vote on any fast track legislation that cuts benefits or puts the pension burden on public employees.

“Our organizing efforts have been absolutely outstanding,” said IEA President Cinda Klickna.  “But this is no time for rest.   We continue to hear of backdoor legislative efforts to push pension cuts through before the end of this session.   We’ve got to get members to the phones to make personal contacts with their legislators.”

Pension mobilization efforts have been continuing for months, with exceptional success just last week.  Just a few examples:

• Through the IEA Website, IEA members sent over 66,000 messages to the governor and legislators urging them to stop the fast track legislation.  Website activity for the week was the highest ever.
• IEA members flooded several legislators’ phone lines with calls about pensions.
• Like other regions and locals, IEA Region 52 (Naperville-Aurora area) used push e-mail to send member alerts.  Over 400 members responded and contacted legislators.
• The IEA Retired Council postponed its meeting and lobbied at the State Capitol on Thursday.
• The Association of Plainfield Teachers trained building representatives and held 10-minute meetings in all buildings the next morning.   Participants sent e-mails, texts and made telephone calls to legislators right then.
• IEA leaders and members in Region 15 combined efforts with the Illinois Federation of Teachers and other coalition partners and rallied at State Senator Sue Rezin’s office in Peru.    The effort drew excellent media attention.

“These are the kinds of efforts that really count,” President Klickna said.  “We’ve got to continue them and not let up.  In particular, we urge members to phone their legislators directly and tell them to forget the fast track.  Work with the coalition to find a fair and constitutional solution.”

Pension 101

What is Happening to our Pensions?!   Speaker of the Illinois House Madigan, Minority Leader Cross, President of the Illinois Senate Cullerton and Governor Quinn are determined "to do something" about public employee pensions in Illinois. They call it "reform" but their proposed solutions are not aimed at the real problem (decades of pension underfunding by the state). Gov. Quinn's proposed "fix" to the pension crisis involve only reducing benefits.  Just so there is NO DOUBT ... the changes are aimed at active teachers and current retired teachers. Do not allow disingenuous legislators tell you different!  We are ALL fighting for our pensions -- active teachers and retired teachers!

What are some of the proposed changes ("reforms")? Teach to 67. Actives pay 3 to 5% more. Local districts handed  the pension bill. Cuts in current and future COLA for current retired and future retired. Cuts in future and current TRIP insurance. That is just the start....there are several other ideas floating around -- ALL BAD. All cutting benefits.

So is all the calling and emailing working!?  Our calls and E-mails and reaching out to legislators are working! Our actions have slowed (for the moment) the "fast tracking" of a pension bill! Many observers thought a pension bill was going to be rushed through at least the house this week. No bill has surfaced. The house has gone home for the weekend. Up to a few days ago there had not been much teacher contact with legislators. There was a feeling that the legislative leaders might just try to run a stealth or 'fast track' bill right over the IEA and IFT because it appeared to some that teachers had grown tired of the pension fight. The only reason a bill has not surfaced, that the IEA and IFT are back at the negotiations table -- is all of our contacts with legislators! The number of contacts have increased dramatically this week. That has helped the IEA and IFT fight for our pensions. The more contacts we make with the more legislators -- the less brave legislators become..... 

What can you do? You don't have to do all - pick one! or two or three!

1. Keep it up! Send another E-mail. Call again. and again and again!

2. Contact five teachers who might be clueless or uninformed or in denial . Convince them, urge them to send  an E-Mail!  Help them call their legislators.  Help them use the ..... "We Are One" ( http://www.weareoneillinois.org/) automated contact system or the IEA system ( WWW.IEANEA.ORG)!  Legislative staffs are counting the number of calls they are getting!

3. Seek out your local association president and offer to help contact members! Suggest you will help with a cell phone and lap top contact your legislator party!!

4. Make an email list of every teacher you know and forward them this Pension 101!   Play Paul or Pauline Revere -- make sure your colleagues know we are in the fight of our life! 

5. If you are retired -- talk to the retired teacher lunch group -- the Friday breakfast group -- be persistent! The pension You help save will be Your Own! URGE them to do more than shake their heads -- urge action -- Give them the websites!!

6. Get a group of teachers together and visit your local state Representative and local state Senator this weekend -- just the fact you call for an appointment is enough! Let them know Teachers vote and they care about their pensions! They will be home!

7. Write up a simple -- "Don't Cut My Pension" petition and have your grade level, your school , your retired lunch group -- sign it and ....present the petition this weekend to your local Representative's office!

8. Ask your colleagues (forward VIA E-Mail) to sign the following Quinn petition on line.....
http://signon.org/sign/governor-quinn-leave?source=s.em.cr&r_by=1424651&mailing_id=3617

9. There have been demonstrations in front of legislators offices in Naperville, Rushville, Westmont, Peru... organize one! Make your own signs! March for fair treatment. Attend the Orland Park Rally Friday night see how it is done!

10. http://www.weareoneillinois.org/  ---   WWW.IEANEA.ORG


GO to Springfield next week and lobby with the IEA!!  Pension Emergency Lobby Week !!!!
IEA is encouraging retired IEA members or members who are out of school to volunteer in a lobbying effort along with AFSCME and We Are One Illinois labor coalition partners scheduled for the week of May 21 in the state's capitol!!!  There will be kick-offs/briefings held each day in a tent behind the Illinois State Federation of Labor located at 534 S. 2nd Street.  The schedule for the week is:

Monday, May 21:  Kick-off/briefing at 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 22 through Friday, May 25:  Kick-off/briefing at 11:00 a.m.

Volunteers are invited back to the tent for an informal debrief after lobbying and box lunches will be provided Tuesday through Friday.  Please note that there are no meals provided on Monday, May 21.  Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide any buses, mileage, or expense reimbursement for those that attend, but we are encouraging available members to attend and support this effort to help ensure a fair solution to the pension crisis.

Please note that the capitol is still under construction and parking and traffic could still be a problem.  Please see the attached document that lists public parking garages in the downtown Springfield area.

Please email Kristi Laukhuf (Kristi.laukhuf@ieanea.org< mailto:Kristi.laukhuf@ieanea.org>) ASAP the number of members attending and on what day so that we are able to provide a lunch count.

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Friday Night -- ORLAND PARK  --  Pension Rally

Please join your colleagues!!!

Meet at:    REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES KREZWICK’S DISTRICT (McCarthy’s Replacement)

What:             Rally Supporting Teachers and Public Employees

When:              Friday, May 18 ^th from 4-6PM

 

Where:             Representative Krezwick’s District Office

                        (8951 West 151^st Street, Orland Park, IL 60462)

 

Why:               Rep. Charles Krezwick says he is supporting the Democratic Leadership’s Positions.  The Democratic leadership’s current position is contrary to IEA’s position:

 

·          Any Proposed changes must be Constitutional;

·          Any modifications must be fair to members;

·          Must maintain the stability of our system; and

·          And include the unions at the table.

 

What do I need to bring:   Signs – but please make sure they are professional! 

 

We need your help now! Remember you have a chance to do everything you can possible do now and not wake up on June 1st asking what I could have done.  Bring your spouse, children, your neighbors, and friends.  We need to show a force and help make a difference. 

 

Brought to you by:

Illinois Education Association/NEA

Pension Movement Likely This Week

Colleagues:  This is a status report on the pension issue that is 
of such critical importance to IEA members.  It is highly likely that a 
pension proposal, in the form of legislation, will surface at the Statehouse 
next week. It's very possible that, once introduced, a pension bill could 
move very quickly through the legislature. That is why  it is crucial that 
our members are active participants in this fight and that they contact 
their legislators immediately.  We are taking a number of steps to ensure we 
are prepared to act to defend our members' pensions.  Robo calls to members 
A robo call from President Klickna will be placed to all IEA members today. 
It will provide a "heads up" message, alerting members that pension 
legislation is imminent and members will be asked to contact their 
legislators.  A second robo call to all members could be placed throughout 
the next week. This call would have a more specific message and would urge 
immediate calls to legislators.  Call to action A full-blown call to action 
is expected to be issued on Monday or Tuesday in anticipation of the pension 
legislation.  Talking points By Tuesday afternoon, talking points that 
members can use for their contacts with legislators will be available to all 
members via the IEA website.  Statewide pension media campaign The We Are 
One Illinois labor coalition (IEA, IFT, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, etc…) is 
launching a statewide media campaign aimed at defending pensions. The 
campaign, which is expected to include radio, TV and internet advertising, 
is being funded by the unions involved. IEA's contribution comes from the 
IEA media campaign fund.  IEA professional staff meeting The call to action 
is likely to impact many scheduled IEA events, including next week's 
scheduled IEA Professional Staff meeting in Springfield.  It will be decided 
early next week whether it makes sense to go forward with a staff meeting in 
Springfield during what could be an intense week.  Stay connected Please 
check the IEA website regularly for updates and encourage your colleagues 
and all members you meet with to do the same.

Beggining Teacher Conference

I wanted to share this reminder from the Illinois New Teacher Collaborative that registration for the Beginning Teacher Conference is open.  There is no conference fee, and hotel rooms for the night of June 26th will be provided by INTC thanks to the generous sponsorship of the State Farm Companies Foundation.  Attendees are responsible for the cost of their own transportation and any additional personal expenses incurred.  CPDUs will be available.

 

“Y2: Moving Beyond Survival” is a two-day conference for new teachers who are just completing their first year of teaching in Illinois .  Conference dates are June 26^th and 27^th.  If you know of first-year teachers who may be interested in attending this conference, they can register for the conference here.

 

Beginning teachers face unique challenges and rewarding experiences in their first year.  The Y2 conference is an opportunity for them to:

 

• Reflect on and share the past year’s teaching experience  

• Reflect on preservice education

• Network with beginning teachers from around the state

• Gain valuable teaching tools and ideas to use in your classroom

• Hear a motivational speaker 

 

What have previous attendees said about the conference?  Take a look:

·         “The conference was outstanding!”

·         “Great to get fired up about teaching during the summer!”

·         “Awesome conference! Thank you."

·         “It made me see things from another perspective.”

·         “A great motivator for getting ready for next year."

 

Conference size is limited.  Register early.  To register for the conference, visit  http://intc.education.illinois.edu/btc.  If you have questions, contact intc@illinois.edu or (217) 244-7389.