Illinois’ comeback story starts here.

Understanding the stalled contract negotiations between the state and AFSCME

Understanding the stalled contract negotiations between the state and AFSCME

An administrative law judge could issue a decision as early as Sept. 1 on whether Illinois state workers and the governor are at an impasse in contract negotiations. Here’s a rundown of the proceedings between Illinois’ largest government-worker union and the state, as well as their potential impact on residents and state employees.

By Mailee Smith

David Johnston

David Johnston

“It’s so frustrating. We’re out here making money for the city but they make it really difficult. We’re a small business, man. Food truck people are people too. We’re not monsters. “When you’re dealing with thousands of restaurants and only a handful of food trucks, it’s tough. And the mindset of all of these rules...

Hubert Powell

Hubert Powell

“I’ve had this truck for four years. But we get tickets every week. And that’s not a good feeling but we need to fight the fight. We have a lot of unemployed people in Chicago who need to make something of themselves in this business.  “We fight because I get repeat customers every day and...

Illinois taxpayers on the hook for pension failures

Illinois taxpayers on the hook for pension failures

More realistic investment return assumptions by the Teachers’ Retirement System mean Illinois taxpayer contributions to the fund could rise by hundreds of millions of dollars. Ending teacher pension pickups would alleviate the burden on Illinois taxpayers.

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner