Sign up soon--spaces fill fast. For 30 CPDUs and your own professional development, join your union brothers and sisters for these two practical courses:

• Reading Comprehension Instruction
• Thinking Mathematics for Middle School--Journey to Algebra

West Suburban Teachers Union members, dependents, and grandchildren are eligible for union-funded scholarships and grants programs.  Crafting a competitive application takes time. Begin yours here!

 The Local 571 House of Representatives wanted Jo Ann's legacy to continue by awarding a yearly scholarship to a Local 571 member's child or grandchild who is a college student pursuing a career in teaching or women's studies.

The IFT special education scholarship, a $1,000 award, is named in honor of the late Carl Megel, who was the AFT's first full-time president (1952-64). Megel began his career in unionism as an officer of the Chicago Teachers Union in the 1930s. His leadership spanned 50 years.

IFT members and their children are eligible to participate in the IFT's Robert G. Porter Scholars program, which awards two $6,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors ($1,500/year)who attend a public university full-time and maintain a "C" average. December 4 is the deadline this year, so don't delay!

According to a 2007 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, exercising the brain can keep your mental health and keep away dementia and senility. So don't just sit there--do some moderate physical AND brain exercise!

Retiring Wisely, the IFT retirement planning guide was first published several years ago. Revised this spring, the booklet supplements the retirement planning seminars held annually for members nearing retirement. The guide can be viewed or downloaded and saved or printed by clicking on the headline above,

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn delivered his first budget address to the General Assembly on March 18. He called for a much-needed income tax increase, but asked public employees to bear the brunt of cuts to address the state's burgeoning $11.6 billion deficit. Email your legislators today to urge them to oppose changes to public pension systems.

Job loss, un-reimbursed hospital bills, and savings for college are among new benefits available to Union Plus program participants   

Current and many past issues of the Union Messenger are now online. Advantages of online access include color photos and graphics, hot links to additional information, and the ability to print individual pages or entire issues of interest.

Accessing issues may require WSTU members to register. A box for registration can be found under the Local 571 logo on the right side of this page.

The IFT Retirees Chapter will E-mail reminders throughout the year to members with a valid e-mail address on file. Informational flyers and reservation forms for each event will be attached to reminder e-mails. Members requesting a flyer/form for a specific event by USPS mail should phone or e-mail the 571 office staff. Links are available on the complete article page.

Inside IFT is e-mailed to subscribers every two weeks to give you the news you need. Sign up today and stay informed and involved with important updates on legislative action, union news and events, professional development tips, member benefits and more.

Public employee pension benefits promised to teachers and public employees throughout Illinois are frequently, and wrongly, portrayed in the press and other venues as overly generous and too expensive for taxpayers. The Illinois Retirement Security Initiative (IRSI) soundly refutes these myths and mischaracterizations in a new study. IRSI is funded in part by IFT and other organizations that want the truth told about pension benefits in Illinois.

Local 571 offers reduced admission movie tickets to AMC/Loews Theatres and Marcus Theatres.  We also have discount gift certificates for See's candy. Click on the headline above for a link to printable order forms.