http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44626194/ns/us_news-life/

Doesn't mean that I don't trust union workers, but talk about playing the system. Work one day, get $158,000/year for life.

He surely was rewarded, wasn't he.

"A retired Chicago labor leader has secured a $158,000 public pension — roughly five times greater than what a typical retired public-service worker in the Windy City receives "

"based on a high union salary."

Sounds like he is making way more than if he had stayed with his employment. Sound more like what happens all over our country. Laws are passed by pols that help those who donate the most. In this case, union bosses instead of some CEO/corp. Just more of the public getting screwed from each and every angle. Nothing new until we get real campaign finance reforms.

I spent more than 30+ years actively involved in the labor movement. What needs to be understood is not all unions have pension plans for paid staff members. An arrangement like the one in the article is in place so that a person does not have to sacrifice his/her pension in order to represent and serve union members by becoming an officer or business agent.

My union had it's own pension plan rather than an employer provided plan. Since it was a union pension fund our officers were a part of the same plan as the members they represented. Because of that we did not have a situation such as the one in the article.

That said, I want to be clear that I do not defend corrupt practices by union officials. I am very pro-union and pro-labor but I also know from personal experience that we do indeed have some real snakes in our ranks. Because of that I have always supported rank and file efforts to clean up our unions and make them the democratic organizations that they should be.

Why wouldn't that particular union pay his pension? He actually worked for the union, not for the city. It doesn't say that he was out on the street taking care of city business. He was taking care of union business.

I personally don't know the details about this Chicago situation. I mean it's entirely possible that the city provided access to the pension fund but it was the union that made the actual contributions. But who knows? As AuntyM says we're talking about Chicago here so anything is possible.

I will agree, though, that this does sound damn fishy. Looks like he took advantage of a loophole in the law. And what kind of union leader retires to go to work for a hedge fund?

AuntyM, Very good point. I had a co-worker that served in Vietnam. He not only came home and got his old job back with no loss of seniority, his time in the military also counted toward his pension. And I have no problem with that whatsoever. It's the least we can do for one of our veterans.

Big difference between serving your country for a year or two in a combat role and one day working for the city. One day to get a huge pension paid by the state. Nice payoff for those who buy.....I mean donate to pols. One of the major problems with this country. Term limits being the other but both go hand-in-hand.

I agree with that if the union funds the pension for the individual during those years. But they should get no more than they would have if they had been working for the state. Five times the normal worker paid by the taxpayer is B.S. anyway you slice it. It might not be illegal but sure stinks of political payback. Not even a kiss after the public screwing with this one but I dont live or pay taxes that go to this so I will get back to work and laugh at the idiocy of the windy city.

The dude was a sanitation worker, then picked to be union management, then went on to run a hedge fund? Sounds to me like he was under employed at the city to begin with, or was that on purpose?
If he's gone for years then the city has to hire someone else to do his job. Now they're paying for two pensions, the guy who was there and the guy who wasn't.
I'm just jealous because I'm not leaching 160k off the city. Rant off.

Yea, you'd have to pay a lot me more to live in Chicago long enough to work the angles these people did. Too far to check my crab pot.