SPRINGFIELD - Illinois' "We are One" union coalition is adamantly opposed to the agreed upon pension reform deal that state lawmakers are to vote on in Springfield Tuesday. On their website, "We Are One" makes an analysis of the reform plan available and writes:
Legislative leaders have released details on their extreme, pension-cutting proposal to the media and to their members. Our coalition has responded quickly to analyze the proposal and produce a fact sheet that details why we oppose this destructive plan. It's nearly the same pension-gutting, mega-bill (House Speaker Michael Madigan's Senate Bill 1) that we defeated this spring.
It's nearly the same as Madigan's Senate Bill 1 that the unions say they defeated earlier this year, the unions say. "The scheme 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."
House members voted on SB 1 earlier this year, and could give insight into how they will vote Tuesday. The vote passed with a 62 to 51 bi-partisan vote - Democrats for and against the Speaker's bill; the same with Republicans:
