by rondelord | Aug 22, 2015 | Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
Amid the nationwide panic over the rising costs of public employee pensions, one proposed solution is nearly universal: States and municipalities should shutter their traditional defined benefit plans and place all new employees in a 401(k)-style defined contribution...
by rondelord | Aug 22, 2015 | Fire, Labor, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
Nearly six in 10 Americans have a favorable view of labor unions, according to the results of a new Gallup survey released Monday. Approval of unions jumped to 58 percent this year, an increase of five percentage points from 2014, though still well below the 75...
by rondelord | Aug 22, 2015 | Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
The city of Chicago is the local government most burdened by unfunded retirement plans in the nation, with a pension debt that’s more than eight times annual revenues, according to a new study by Moody’s Investors Service. The city’s unfunded pension...
by rondelord | Aug 22, 2015 | Collective Bargaining, Health Insurance, Labor, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
Democrats and unions have been steadfast in their defense of Obamacare, except for one provision: the controversial “Cadillac” tax. But will the bipartisan desire to repeal the tax be enough to get approved by President Obama? The “Cadillac”...
by rondelord | Aug 12, 2015 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
Taxpayers should get something in return for their money. Is that so much to ask? When it comes to public-employee union contracts allowing for so-called “release time,” two courts have now ruled there is little to no public benefit provided to taxpayers in exchange...
by rondelord | Jul 25, 2015 | Collective Bargaining, Labor, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
The state has quietly settled a suit that challenged what critics claim was a policy permitting a labor union to collect dues from state employees who choose not to be union members. The settlement, approved Wednesday by a federal judge in Hartford, requires the state...
