A coalition of labor unions sued the government of Illinois Tuesday for mass “pension theft” that it says violates the state’s constitution.

In a 55-page complaint delivered to Sangamon County Circuit Court in Springfield, plaintiffs with the We Are One Illinois coalition — whose members include the Illinois AFL-CIO, Illinois Federation of Teachers, and Illinois Education Association — demand an overthrow of the pension-gutting Senate Bill 1 that passed over a month ago upon approval by the Democrat-led legislature and democratic Governor Pat Quinn.

The controversial law raises the retirement age for workers 45 years old and younger, shrinks collective bargaining rights, reduces cost-of-living raises for retirees, and weakens the pension system for state workers. The result is a massive slash to pensions that will affect hundreds of thousands of present and future government retirees — including teachers, nurses, and caregivers.

We Are One Illinois charges this law violates the state’s constitution, which stipulates that a public worker’s pension is a “contract that the state cannot diminish or impair,” according to an organizational statement.