by Ron DeLord | Dec 5, 2016 | Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
Years of ill-timed investments and a refusal to abandon questionable strategies have left South Carolina’s government pension plans on the ropes, with a massive funding gap that threatens promised benefits to future retirees. The plans serve roughly one out of...
by Ron DeLord | Dec 5, 2016 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Police, Politics, Unions
The city of Palo Alto should have consulted with its public safety unions before authorizing a 2011 ballot measure to repeal a provision on binding arbitration, an appellate court has determined. The Sixth District Court of Appeal in San Jose agreed with the Public...
by Ron DeLord | Dec 5, 2016 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Health Insurance, Police, Politics, Unions
Lansing — Local governments across Michigan have promised retiree health care benefits they cannot afford, House Speaker Kevin Cotter said Thursday, warning that collective unfunded liabilities of $11 billion could drive more Michigan cities toward bankruptcy. “The...
by Ron DeLord | Dec 5, 2016 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Police, Politics, Unions
Two of the city’s three public safety unions are willing to consider a one-year extension of their contracts with the city – but it might not be as simple as giving the go-ahead. Although negotiations for new contracts are set for spring 2017, City Council has said it...
by Ron DeLord | Dec 5, 2016 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Health Insurance, Labor, Memorial, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
A couple weeks before the Nov. 8 election, 10 Milwaukee public school teachers staffed the phone bank at their union office with two goals in mind. Both involved winning. The first aim was to help Democrat Russ Feingold regain the U.S. Senate seat he lost in the...
by Ron DeLord | Nov 27, 2016 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Health Insurance, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
He may be right. A half-century ago, more than a third of those Rust Belt workers were unionized, and their unions had the clout to win them a decent wage, benefits and pensions. Their unions also had the power to turn out the vote. They did — for Democrats. White...
