The latest post of Republican State Rep. candidate Steve Reick’s web site is one in which he criticizes opponent and long-time incumbent Jack Franks for a vote.
The Chicago Tribune editorialized against the Teamsters strike intervention bill in connection with SCI Illinois Services, part of a funeral home chain.
It criticizes Senate Bill 1787, a bill that started out as Illinois Titanium Powdered Metals Development Act and ended up putting pressure on a funeral parlor company from Texas.
Why the switch in subject matter?
Teamster supporters needed what is called a “vehicle bill.”
Such a piece of legislation is striped of its content and amended to accomplish something someone has just thought of, in this case something to allow the sticking workers to get around a court injunction, as lawyer Reick’s article explains.
The amendment to the bill was approved by Jack Franks’ Government Administration Committee.
You will not be surprised that Franks voted for the bill. All local Republican House members voted against it. You may be surprised that Tom Cross, seeking the Republican nomination for State Treasurer also voted for the bill. The House roll call is below:
Roll Call on Senate Bill 1787. a bill to intervene in Teamsters’ strike against a nationwide funeral home chain.
Republican State Senators Pam Althoff, Dan Duffy and Karen McConnaughay voted, “No.”
And, just in case you are interested, here are Teamster contributions to Jack Franks:
Teamster Union contributions to Jack Franks since 1999.
This is a fascinating story.
SCI is no run of the mill funeral operator, it’s a public company on the NYSE.
Teamsters is no run of the mill union, they have a long history of organized crime ties, including allegations in Local 727 years ago.
The Coli family has been at the helm of Teamsters Local 727 for decades.
SCI filed a RICO lawsuit against Local 727 in 2011 alleging shenanigans in the health, pension, and education funds in the US Northern District Federal Court.
Case 1:11-cv-07762.
There is a long history of fraud in Teamster health and pension funds in general, with many Teamsters members obviously very concerned the people at the top are skimming money or doing other misdeeds.
This year SCI asked for a temporary restraining order, preliminary, and permanent injunctions against
Teamsters Local 727 with a host of complaints about Teamsters harassing grieving families at the funeral homes.
Now the Teamsters is turning to the General Assembly who used a vehicle bill?
And the Housed passed the bill?
Can’t claim this has been transparent from the start.
Illinois already has very strong labor laws.
Do we remember some other Illinois state legislation involving unions?
Remember the legislation that allowed IFT union leaders to substitute teach for a day to qualify for a TRS teacher pension for years worked as an employee of the IFT teacher union?
At the very least state law should be changed so any bill, including vehicle bills, titled x can’t be changed to y.
Let’s call it the political algebra loophole.
Thus it should not even be legal for a bill titled DCEO Titanium Metals Develop to contain Illinois
Funeral or Burial Funds Act legislation yet still called DCEO Titanium Metals Develop.
And where are the claims and evidence the lockout is negatively impacting the consumer?
The above link to Hiding Legislation When They Don’t Want You To See It by Republican candidate for State
Rep in 63rd House District, Steven Reick, posted on November 13, 2013 contains a very good history on this slim shady bill.
Looking at Reick’s profile he has an undergraduate degree in accounting, Masters in Taxation, and a law degree.
Those three skills would be most useful in exposing Springfield.
Where is the list of vehicle bills in any given General Assembly session?
Probably no such lists exists.
They don’t want you to know.
Just like Bob Woodward the Watergate reporter has said.
Every day I wake up wondering what they are not telling me.
How true that is.