US News

Illinois OKs LIFO death

The “last in, first out” policy that protects the jobs of veteran teachers during layoffs is being expelled — in Illinois.

In a stunning development, teachers unions in the Land of Lincoln announced yesterday they have agreed to a massive educational overhaul that included curbing the LIFO policy that determines layoffs strictly by seniority.

It’s the first time that union leaders in a large, labor-dominated state have signed off on LIFO reforms.

Under the legislative accord, performance as well as seniority will be taken into account when school districts determine layoffs — enabling the districts to keep some of their best junior teachers instead of automatically giving them pink slips.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, backs the education-reform package, which has bipartisan support in the Illinois Senate.

“This bill helps us make sure that we have the best teachers in our classrooms and assures effective teacher performance,” Quinn said.

The support for LIFO reform in Illinois contrasts with the situation in Albany, where Gov. Cuomo and Democratic lawmakers have derailed Mayor Bloomberg’s bid to repeal it in New York City because of union opposition.

Republicans have supported LIFO reform.

For its part, the United Federation of Teachers has focused on campaigning against any budget-related layoffs.

“If Illinois and Gov. Quinn can do it, New York and Gov. Cuomo certainly ought to be able to,” said Joe Williams of Education Reform Now, a group that backs LIFO repeal here.

In Illinois, the three main teachers unions — the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Education Association and the Chicago Teachers Union — issued a joint statement supporting the reform to “ensure layoff decisions are made taking experience and performance into account.”

Union leaders told a press conference that the political war over labor rights in neighboring Wisconsin and Indiana played a role in their decision to come to the table. Those states have passed laws that dramatically scale back union bargaining rights.

“You can do this through collective bargaining. You can do this through negotiations,” said IEA President Ken Swanson.

carl.campanile@nypost.com