- Less than 24 hours after the Tribune and WGN-TV reported that at least eight union officials eligible for a city pension also stand to receive one or more union pensions for the same period of work, Illinois House Republican leader Tom Cross filed legislation that would limit them to just the one.
"This is double dipping on steroids — and it was meant to be illegal. Unfortunately, top union officials used a questionable interpretation of the pension law that allowed them to use a loophole to grab two or sometimes three pensions," said Cross, R-Oswego. "This is a disgrace — and must be remedied immediately."
Under Illinois pension law, a union leader may receive a city pension based on his union salary as long as he doesn't "receive credit in any pension plan established by the local labor organization based on his employment by the organization."
But the Tribune and WGN-TV found that the executive directors of two city pension funds allowed union leaders to accrue additional union pension benefits if the funds were created by labor groups that are not located in Chicago or that include multiple unions.
All well and good to close a loophole that's draining pension funds statewide. But what's the reason for adding this language to the bill?
- Amends the Chicago Police, Chicago Firefighter, Chicago Municipal, Chicago Laborers, Chicago Park District, and Chicago Teacher Articles of the Illinois Pension Code to terminate the existing pension boards 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act and to provide for a new board comprised of 4 members appointed by the Mayor of the City of Chicago and 3 elected members representing active members and annuitant members of the fund. [...]
Effective immediately.
Are we missing something or is this completely under the radar?