Most Illinoisans were outraged earlier this year when they found out that some teachers in Chicago were collecting six-figure public pensions based not on their classroom salaries but their better paid union administrative jobs. Lawmakers quickly moved to close that glaring loophole.

Well, the Chicago Teachers Union is outraged that anyone else is outraged. Recently it filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the action. The union argues that benefits once given can't be taken back.

This union has no shame. State lawmakers never intended, for example, that former union president Marilyn Stewart would collect a $150,000 annual public pension -- more than double what she made as a teacher. It's only because people figured out how to game the system that she's collecting that.

How sad that the union won't allow lawmakers to correct a glaring situation that affects only a fortunate few. The union's action gives the many rank-and-file public employees who collect modest pensions a black eye.