CTU: another strike (Chicago, Detroit: 2013, school district, suburbs)

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by LIS123

This is 100% correct.

A politician who is loyal to their constituents would want to obtain the highest quality services for the lowest cost to minimize the tax burden their constituents pay. Once public sector employees unionize, this incentive is lost. It then becomes a matter of obtaining more and more protections for the public sector union employees, who return the favor with massive contributions (financial and in kind) to the politicians that got them elected. The more the politician can promise to the public sector union employees, the more incentive those employees have to contribute to the politicians' campaign. In this scenario, the constituents/tax payers are left holding the bag as their tax burden has to be increased in order to pay for ever sweeter packages for the public sector unions.

If there is a state/county with a high tax burden, it is ALWAYS the result of powerful public sector unions that run the municipality with an iron fist.

Unions are responsible for a number of working conditions improvements, especially in Chicago. They are not all evil. My biggest gripe with the CTU is that teachers are already well compensated and most realize that the current system is fiscally unsustainable. Sorry I don't want to further bankrupt the place I call home and have built my life because some union members feel as though they are owed egregious retirement packages that no one else is entitled to. The current system does not work. Everyone is aware of that at this point. The government cannot be trusted to responsibly make public servants millionaires. If it could, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[pvande55]

CTU’s Karen Lewis compares Gov. Rauner to an ISIS recruiter | WGN-TV
A rather incendiary speech. But at least she stopped short of saying he eats worms and barks at the moon.

[MSchemist80]

The teachers are going to love the deal they get when CPS declares bankruptcy and gets taken over by the state.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

The teachers are going to love the deal they get when CPS declares bankruptcy and gets taken over by the state.

Is this sarcasm? I'm pretty sure most will be stripped of most of their benefits, not that I disagree with that at all. Sorry I don't feel like you deserve a multi-million dollar pension to teach at under performing schools. Maybe if we saw results I'd feel differently.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Is this sarcasm? I'm pretty sure most will be stripped of most of their benefits, not that I disagree with that at all. Sorry I don't feel like you deserve a multi-million dollar pension to teach at under performing schools. Maybe if we saw results I'd feel differently.

Bankruptcy will not end pensions. Even the worst municipal bankruptcy imaginable like Detroit
saw teachers retain 80% of their benefits. San Bernadino teachers kept 100% of their pensions.

Fact is that bankruptcy judges take their pound of flesh from the bond holders, banks and vendors first.

[NOLA101]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

Fact is that bankruptcy judges take their pound of flesh from the bond holders, banks and vendors first.

Yup. If Chicago or CPS declares bankruptcy, the teachers and administrators will be fine. Pensions likely won't be touched, though healthcare/benefits might.

When Detroit went bankrupt, the teachers kept 100% of their pensions. They only lost some medical benefits. It's the bondholders who got killed (which is why only a fool would invest in Chicago bonds right now; they will get destroyed if bankruptcy ever occurs).

[MSchemist80]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Is this sarcasm?

Obviously. The CTU is pushing the entire CPS to bankruptcy and they are going to end up quite worse off because of it.

[MSchemist80]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

Yup. If Chicago or CPS declares bankruptcy, the teachers and administrators will be fine. Pensions likely won't be touched, though healthcare/benefits might.

When Detroit went bankrupt, the teachers kept 100% of their pensions. They only lost some medical benefits. It's the bondholders who got killed (which is why only a fool would invest in Chicago bonds right now; they will get destroyed if bankruptcy ever occurs).

Bankruptcy allows for renegotiation of all existing contracts. I can guarantee the union salaries and benefits will go significantly down as a result. The pensions are so hopeless right now something is going to have to give.

[lenniel]

Why is it that only cities that are run by democrats seem to have these fiscal problems?




I hope there's a bankruptcy, just to close the giant pie hole in Lewis' face.

[NOLA101]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

Bankruptcy allows for renegotiation of all existing contracts. I can guarantee the union salaries and benefits will go significantly down as a result. The pensions are so hopeless right now something is going to have to give.

OK, but they didn't in Detroit. Detroit retirees had their pensions untouched.

Not sure why Chicago would be different; Chicago is healthier than Detroit was and was/is better able to manage pension burden. Chicago teachers would be highly unlikely to be punished by a bankruptcy; it would almost certainly be the bondholders.