RTAC Could Be Fighting Force in Future Pension Fight

A fierce battle is being waged between the President of the Retired Teachers Association of Chicago (RTAC) and the elected directors of a powerful organization that boasts over $15 million dollars in assets.

Maria J. Rodriguez was elected President of RTAC on October 21, 2025 to serve a two year term. She was not slated by RTAC’s nominating committee, which was chaired by **Bernie Eshoo. Maria ran as an independent self-nominated candidate for the office of President and won.

I first wrote a story about the difference between the RTAC and the CTU Functional Retiree Group headed by Howard Heath earlier this year. I attended the August 3, 2026 RTAC Board meeting. The minutes of the meeting presented by the new Secretary Patrick Keating were challenged due to procedural violations in Roberts Rules of Order. After much discussion and debate the Board of Directors did not approve his minutes. They were presented in a transcript format listing Board member’s names and personal comments made during the meeting. The question of how minutes are recorded and the biases they can reflect was raised by Teacher Trustee Erika Meza at an earlier Chicago Teachers Pension Board meeting.

The immediate past president Louella B. Preston challenged and debated recommendations made by President Rodriguez. Roy Coleman, the former webmaster who resigned in April, distributed an addendum stating he had support from a group of directors who encouraged him to rescind his resignation. The Board members did not support his request.

Further on the agenda, President Rodriguez disclosed RTAC had inacccurately reported a deficit of $10,000 in their financial report during the Spring luncheon at the Hilton and in their financial report at the June 3, 2026 Board meeting. Past President Linda R. Williams noted the error questioning why was there was a deficit when RTAC had received a bequest of $10,000 which was used to subsidize the 100th Anniversary Luncheon under the direction of the executive director. President Rodriguez directed the question to the executive director, who stated it was an error and it would be corrected.

Rodriguez has previously stated RTAC needs to modernize and change in order to counter the brutal assault on public pensions and recruit new retirees.

The importance of retired teachers groups is growing as they begin to question and pressure their pension funds that have embraced Wall Street predatory practices resulting in a transfer of wealth from retired teachers to money managers. Many states have passed laws to impoverish retired workers by eliminating the Cost of Living Accounts (COLAs) which simply tie people’s pensions to the rate of inflation. A $30k pension from 20 years ago ain’t gonna cut it today as everyday prices continue to rise.

Illinois politicians backed by wealthy business interests tried to also eliminate the retired teachers COLA’s here, but the IL Constitution stood in their way. So they passed the Tier 2 law that basically impoverished future teachers’ retirement by increasing the retirement age to 67 and increased the vested period of time to receive a pension to 10 years. This means many teachers who leave the profession before working 10 years are not vested and will not receive a monthly pension benefit for life.

But the Tier 2 Law also whacked the Tier 1 people as well. The law allows the Chicago Public Schools to put a lot less money into the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund because they extended the date that CPS has to make its payments to the Fund. (90 percent funded in 2059).

The Teachers Retirement Association in North Carolina and the Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association (ORTA) paid for forensic audits of their pension funds and discovered how much of their money is actually going to Wall Street money managers at the expense of the retired teachers. The Policemen’s Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago also had a forensic audit of their pension that is less than 25 percent funded.

The Retired Teachers’ Association of Chicago and Aid Fund CRTAF have a total of $15 million in assets of which $3 million is in their aid Fund. RTAC AND CRTAF are both Not-For-Profit. President Rodriguez’s drive to modernize includes updating their website and eventually using credit cards to pay for annual and lifetime memberships. She fought hard to implement Zelle’s digital payment program for the members instead of just writing checks that dominated a world that seemed forever ago.

RTAC once had 10k members and today has about 6,700. They just celebrated their 100th anniversary at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago where lots of retired teachers gathered to *celebrate their long run. (Note: Wine was not served) RTAC’s Board is comprised of 16 directors and five officers who are elected at the luncheons. Many of the directors on the Board have served from 10 to 15 years or more. Many were former CPS administrators who receive a CTPF pension because they once were teachers. CPS Board of Education employees who never taught are members of the Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund (MEABF). CTPF employees are also annuitants of the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund and are qualified to become RTAC Board members under their bylaws. Former CTPF Executive Directors James Ward and Kevin B. Huber both served on the RTAC Board.

Rodriguez has big plans for RTAC. She wants to be an organizer who will reach out to the members to get involved and fight for their pensions. She would like the retirees to help restore the funding level of the Pension Fund. CTPF’S funded ratio as of June 2025 is 47.9 percent, one of the lowest funded public pension funds in the country. To increase that level CTPF and RTAC retirees need to take a close look at CTPF expenses and lobby to change the Tier 2 that allows the Chicago Public Schools to pay a lot less to the Pension Fund because they extended their payments all the way to 2059 when the law decreed CTPF must be 90 percent funded.

There is one thing Rodriguez can be proud of despite her tumultuous first year as president. She succeeded in coordinating a successful Centennial Luncheon at the Hilton Hotel in May of this year that had 310 people in attendance with a band which included a pianist and the elegance of a celebration well deserved to the RTAC Membership.

Will the CTPF which just celebrated its 130th year anniversary still be around as its debts continue to spiral upward as Wall Street sucks out more fees? Only if the people fight for their pensions and reverse the damage being done.

Corrections:

* We incorrectly reported that the RTAC 100th Anniversary wined, dined and toasted the evening. A reader who attended the event said there was no alcohol served with the dinner.

** We incorrectly reported the spelling of Bernie Eshoo and incorrectly reported that she is a member of Members First. She said she is not. We regret the mistakes.