“It’s true
that education is the key to our future, but those who served the needs of our
students in the past are also part of our future. For that reason, the Illinois
Retired Teachers Association will join other public employee organizations in
suing to stop enactment of illegal and radical changes to Illinois’ public
pension laws.
“The
Illinois Constitution specifically protects public workers’ pensions as
sacrosanct and enforceable contracts, the benefits of which cannot be impaired
or diminished. In their wisdom 43 years ago, the constitutional delegates
recognized the proclivity of legislators to ignore their obligations to the men
and women who serve the public.
“Pensions
are not gifts, they’re earned benefits deferred to employees who kept their end
of the bargain over their careers. Imagine the outrage if an employer decided
he could not, because of his bad business practices, fulfill his commitment to
pay his workers.
“Lawmakers
for decades recklessly ignored the state’s obligation to pay for its share of
its pension funds, and now they’re telling innocent retirees that their
pensions must be radically reduced. The IRTA will ask the Illinois Supreme
Court to overturn this effort and restore fairness and security to those who
spent their teaching careers building a better future for us as well as our
children.”
Gary Elmen
President
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