Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association

Colleagues:
Illinois’ new pension law will NOT go into effect starting June 1 after a judge today granted the members of the We Are One Illinois coalition, of which the Illinois Education Association is a member, a stay in the case.

Sangamon County Circuit Judge John Belz heard from all sides on the issue today and granted a temporary restraining order, meaning none of the law is to be implemented until he rules on the entire case.

The law, known as SB1, was passed in December and slashes cost-of-living adjustments, reducing the value of pension benefits by one-third or more after 20 years in retirement. It also hikes the retirement age and makes other, unconstitutional cuts to the pensions of working and retired members of the Teachers’ Retirement System, State Employees’ Retirement System and State Universities Retirement System.

“For our members who are part of TRS and SURS, we had a victory today in being granted this stay,” said IEA President Cinda Klickna. “Now we’ll wait to see what the court says about the entire case.”

No date has been set for that lawsuit.

SB1 was to go into effect on June 1. However, WAOI filed a motion Monday asking that the law not be implemented. Teachers and other public service workers around the state were being asked to make life-altering decisions based on a law that is still subject to a lawsuit, the coalition noted. Belz granted the WAOI request.

Cinda klickna

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