Some Illinois Unions Willing to Pay More to Preserve Pensions

If state is willing to guarantee it will actually make its payments

A coalition of public employee unions said Wednesday members would be willing to pay more toward their pensions in exchange for an ironclad guarantee the state will make its pension payment.

We Are One Illinois also called for ending a number of business tax breaks which it said could raise as much as $2 billion that could be used to pay down the state's pension debt.

The unions called for a pension summit meeting with state officials in January to negotiate a plan to reduce the state's pension burden.