Corporate media aiding and abetting attack on teacher pensions... Pension Law to Hit CPS Teachers

[tonysam]

Hard

Substance News

The two major daily newspapers are hailing the Illinois legislature's recent lightening speed vote to create a two-tier pension system as a move that will help fix the state's budget deficit.

The bill that the Governor plans to sign into law will do nothing to reduce the state's budget woes today, but is estimated to save $150 billion over 35 years, according to the Sun Times.

What it spells for state unionized workers including the teachers is a disaster - increase the retirement age from 62 to 67 and drastically lower pension benefits for newly hired workers.

While state officials maintain that the current measure will not affect teachers and other government employees paying into the definted benefit pension system today, it may undermine the unions' ability to show solidarity in a future work action where younger workers are not sure they should support older members who are much better compensated.

[msongs]

1. lol it's the race to top which is gonna eff over all US teachers nt

[Lifelong Protester]

2. That is horrible! We do not need to pit the younger and newer

teachers against the veterans. It's the old 'divide and conquer' routine again. Why oh why in this country do we want to continue to sacrifice the young for a few dollars?

[donco6]

3. We already did this in Colorado.

And the legislature would LOVE to get rid of PERA.