A poll of 500 found that Illinois voters oppose cuts to public employee pensions and support the We Are One Illinois coalition's pension-funding plan instead. Also, by a margin of four to one, voters back the We Are One Illinois coalition's call for a pension summit to develop a shared solution to the pension problem.

 

The poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling, found Illinois voters opposing cuts by a margin of 58 to 31, supporting the coalition's pension-funding plan by 59 to 23 and supporting the call for a summit by 78 to 17. 

 

"Illinois voters are sending a strong message to their political leaders," Michael T. Carrigan, president of the Illinois American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, said in a statement. "The public doesn't believe that the modest pension of a retired teacher or other public employee caused the budget problems. People reject the approach that blames and punishes workers and retirees. Instead the voters strongly support our union coalition's call to ork together and develop a solution that is fair, constitutional and supported by all parties."