In 2012, IEA members can lobby close to home

members-meet-with-legislators-day

The Illinois Statehouse is under renovation, but IEA members cannot let the limited access to the State Capitol Building stop them from lobbying their state senators and representatives on school, funding, pensions and all the other issues so important to public education. IEA leaders are urging members to participate in “Back Home Lobby Days, IEA [...]

Help needed with SURS petitions

SURS Logo

Your help is needed!  We are looking for assistance with the circulation of petitions for the IEA and AFSCME candidates for the Board of Trustees of the State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS). The following are the two candidates seeking election: Andrew Matthews IEA candidate view candidate bio Dorinda Miller AFSCME candidate, and a [...]

IEA radio: Teachers/IEA are catalysts for student success

Teacher-at-board

Teachers who make a difference are at the heart of a new radio ad that is part of the IEA’s ongoing media campaign. The new ad, titled “Each of Us,” will air throughout the state during January and February on the affiliates of the Illinois Radio Network as well as on other stations throughout the state. [...]

Celebrate School Appreciation Days with the Chicago Rush

chicago-rush-football

The Chicago Rush is pleased to invite the members and families of the Illinois Education Association to the games on March 10, 2012 and April 21, 2012 to celebrate School Appreciation Days.  Stay after the games to meet your favorite Rush players and Adrenaline Rush Dancers at our complimentary autograph session. To place your order, [...]

Status Report on SB 512 (pension reduction bill)

Screen Shot 2011-11-27 at 10.14.27 AM

As the Illinois General Assembly returns to work at the statehouse on November 29, IEA President Cinda Klickna provides an update on Senate Bill 512, the proposal that would cut pension benefits for active (hired before 1-1-11) IEA member participants in SURS and TRS. President Klickna reports that it appears the backers of the bill [...]

Lt. Gov. wants your education improvement suggestions

sheila simon

  If you have ideas on what can be done to improve public education, Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon wants to hear from you. Simon’s “Classrooms First” commission is taking input via an online survey that is available to anyone with ideas for cutting costs or improving efficiency. The deadline for the survey is December 2nd. [...]

IEA Legislative Update – November 10, 2011

Legislative-update-11-10-11

IEA President Cinda Klickna offers her thanks for the hard work of IEA members and staff in stopping a pension cutting bill in the Illinois House.

Day 4 — Negotiations continue in SIUC strike

IMG_2674r

Full-time faculty at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) are standing strong as their strike for fair treatment enters the fourth day. Negotiations are continuing today. The SIUC administration delivered a revised proposal to the faculty late Monday, but significant issues remain unresolved. An estimated 500 to 700 students rallied on campus Monday afternoon in support [...]

Teacher pensions save IL taxpayers $

teacher-pensions-save-video

IEA member Brandi Martin, a teacher from Aurora, has created a brief  video that makes a compelling case for teacher pensions as a benefit for taxpayers and does so in a highly entertaining way. Watch it and feel free to share it with your friends and colleagues.

Huge statehouse rally for retirement security

we-are-one-illinois-rally

An overflow crowd of teachers, firefighters, police officers, mental health works, state employees and other public workers, all of them union members, packed the Illinois Statehouse rotunda Wednesday for a rally in  support of retirement security and collective bargaining rights. Represented were IEA, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, AFSCME, SEIU, the Fraternal Order of Police [...]