UNION OFFICIALS GET IN ON PENSION GOODIES

The above example isn't about teachers unions, but this one is (from Education Action Group):

 

UNION OFFICIALS GET IN ON PENSION GOODIES

 

     By now we've all heard the story about the two Illinois teachers union lobbyists who taught school as substitutes for one day apiece, and as a result were allowed to join the state teachers pension system, count their years of experience as lobbyists, and base their pensions on their salaries as lobbyists. 
     The Illinois Teachers Teachers Retirement System, by the way, is millions of dollars in debt. That means it currently lacks the funds to meet its obligations to real teachers who will retire in the future and genuinely deserve their pensions.
     One of the lobbyists, Steven Preckwinkle, will receive about $2.8 million by the time he turns 78 and $3.8 million by the time he turns 84, according to media reports. David Piccioli will collect $1.1 million by the time he's 78 and $1.7 million by the time he's 84.
     The two lobbyists and the Illinois Federation of Teachers have paid approximately $230,000 into the pension system. Sounds like these two will make out pretty good.
     But the story gets even worse. Now we hear about Reg Weaver, the former president of the NEA, who is drawing $242,657 per year from the Illinois state teachers pension system, based on his top salary working for the union.
     Most teachers pensions are based on their top salary earned in the classroom. Weaver topped out at $60,000 before he went to work for the union.
     All of these situations were created by loopholes in a state law that allow union officials to tap into the teachers pension program. As Kent Redfield, a political science professor at the University of Illinois Springfield told Education News, "The people that are on the inside and understand the process are going to be able to make the system work to their advantage."
     Sadly, it's the taxpayers and average teachers on the "outside" who get the raw end of the deal.
     Kyle Olson, CEO of Education Action Group, was interviewed earlier this week on the "Fox and Friends" national morning show regarding this outrage