23 Chicago union leaders get $56 million in pensions

[alp227]

"Law gives huge pension perks to union leaders" by Jason Grotto, Chicago Tribune:

All it took to give nearly two dozen labor leaders from Chicago a windfall worth millions was a few tweaks to a handful of sentences in the state's lengthy pension code.

The changes became law with no public debate among state legislators and, more importantly, no cost analysis.

Twenty years later, 23 retired union officials from Chicago stand to collect about $56 million from two ailing city pension funds thanks to the changes, a Tribune/WGN-TV investigation found.

Because the law bases the city pensions on the labor leaders' union salaries, they are reaping retirement benefits that far outstrip the modest salaries they made as city employees. On average, their pensions are nearly three times higher than what the typical retired city worker receives.

[former9thward]

1. There will be those who defend this theft.

Afterall they have to be rewarded for all the "hard work" they did.

[Dreamer Tatum]

11. Get yer defenses and redirections here

"But Goldman Sachs (fill in blanks)!!!"

"Meanwhile, the Bush Cabal goes unpunished."

"The source is a well-known RW source."

"Take your RW talking points elsewhere."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"So? They probably deserve it."

[Broderick]

2. seems fishy

[nomb]

3. A Chicago job worked *one* day netted a $158,000 a year pension for life at age 50..

I won't even try to defend this shit.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-pensions-gannon-20110922,0,913026.story

[postulater]

4. This is the kind of crap that most anti-union workers complain about.

(the ones I know of anyway)

[frazzled]

5. The follow-up front-page story was published today

Taking one of these fellows, who is earning $158,000 a year in city pension by hiring him for 1 day in 1994 and then giving him an indefinite leave of absence. (The story gets worse from there.)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-pensions-gannon-20110922,0,913026.story

These two articles represent a formidable piece of investigative journalism (the kind the Tribune USED to do but has not for quite a few years). City workers--who earn an average $29,000 pension after years and years on the job--should be up in arms over the backroom deals these guys cut with the Daley administration while their pensions are at risk. It's all very fascinating.

[DrunkenBoat]

6. Chicago is trying to screw rank & file union members again. The pols would know about these particu

lar pensioners -- it's the same crooks they work with to screw the little people.

[emilyg]

7. Shared sacrifice.

[Township75]

8. Stories like this will make Scott Walker popular.

.

[nomb]

9. "If you don't want it printed, don't let it happen." - Motto of 'The Aspen Times'

Where they know a thing or two about bad publicity....

[Broderick]

13. Why are there so many crooks

in important things.

[Township75]

15. I know. It is frustrating that something as noble as a union has to be

denigrated into a tool for the corrupt. It should be a tool to protect workers, but unions suffer poor reputations because of people like this.

I am sure there are lots of answers to your question, but a good friend who became a lawyer once told me something that stuck with me for cases like this. When talking about the law field, which is known for sleezy people, he said that "there is nothing in the field of law that makes people corrupt and sleazy. For some reason, this field just attracts those types of people."

I think places like politics, board rooms, and high level union positions are no different in that regard.

[Dreamer Tatum]

10. You mean there are crooked union leaders? The devil you say,

CAN'T be true.

[ileus]

12. CEO's by any other name....

[Scuba]

14. Not an argument for banning unions any more than crooked CEO's are for banning corps. n/t

[dana_b]

17. that's for damn sure

:thumbsup:

[Better Believe It]

16. They learn that crap from corporate CEO's who they admire as role models!

These type of union officials are not union leaders. They act like parasites on the back of the labor movement which they view as one big gravy train they won't get off.