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GOVERNMENT
UNIONS INVESTED $10M IN MADIGAN, BUT COULD THAT END IN 2021?
Illinois Policy Institute/
Ann Miller
Illinois
House Speaker Mike Madigan has funded a lot of campaigns – and his legal
defense – with money from government unions. Even if unions still back
him in the New Year, members have options. |
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For the first time in 35 years, the Illinois House may be
ringing in the new year and the new session with a new speaker.
House Speaker Mike Madigan has been embroiled in a federal corruption scandal,
damaging his chances for another term as speaker. To date, 19 House Democrats
out of 73 have said they refuse to back Madigan for another term as speaker,
leaving him six votes shy of the 60 he’ll need on Jan. 13.
Government worker unions have invested $10 million in Madigan in the past 26
years, but their members may not agree that he should receive support and cash
for a 19th term.
Most public-sector workers in Illinois expect their union dues to fund
representation at their workplace. But that’s often not the case, as recent
research from the Illinois Policy Institute points out.
According to data from the Illinois State Board of Elections, unions have given
over $10 million to election committees run by Madigan. Just shy of $4 million
was paid by teachers.
Dues paid by teachers to the American Federation of Teachers, the National
Education Association, their state affiliates and political action committees
ended up in Madigan’s campaign coffers.
Unions spend a lot of time convincing members that their membership dues are
spent in their best interests, but rather than spending money on representing
their members or trying to influence labor issues, the unions push political
agendas that may not match members’ values.
According to Department of Labor reports, the American Federation of Teachers
gave $250,000 to Madigan’s personal election campaign in 2018 alone.
Also late that year, SEIU gave nearly $450,000 to Madigan committees – just as
he was settling a sexual harassment lawsuit against his campaign committee
brought by a campaign worker whose harasser was funneled $30,000 after Madigan
publicly fired the guy. At least $350,000 of the SEIU money was shifted from
member dues into the political action fund.
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When someone donates to a union political
committee, that is one thing. But when union leaders decide dues
should be spent on politics, or to defend a politician from a
worker’s complaint, that’s another.
Teachers and other government workers expect their membership dues
to pay for representation in contract negotiations and labor
disputes. If workers decide they don’t want their money to support
Madigan or politics that don’t match their beliefs, they can opt out
of the union.
Until 2018, average public sector workers in Illinois had no choice
but to shut up and pay up in the face of unsavory union politics.
Even workers who opted out of the union had to pay hundreds of
dollars in “fair share” fees.
That all changed when Mark Janus, a former child support specialist
for the state of Illinois, sued AFSCME Council 31 and won. The U.S.
Supreme Court’s Janus ruling freed millions of government workers
nationwide from having to pay money to a union just to keep their
jobs.
Workers who opt out of unions are guaranteed the benefits provided
in the collective bargaining agreement – regardless of union
affiliation.
Guaranteed benefits included in a contract may include salary and
raises, health insurance, pension benefits, vacation days and
holidays, overtime pay, seniority, or leaves of absence, including
sick leave.
As Madigan faces 2021 with the first real challenge to his
leadership in 35 years, unions may want to rethink the backing they
gave the Illinois House speaker in the old year, and government
workers may want to consider whether they want to financially
support Madigan or themselves in the New Year.
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