At last night's school board meeting, a resident asked for an update concerning the grievance. Solicitor Tom Peterson answered the question by saying that the arbitrator issued an initial decision that neither the MLEA nor the District really fully understood. They had different interpretations of the scope of the relief, so the District submitted a few questions to the arbitrator to clarify her award.
The arbitrator concluded that certain people should be advanced on the pay scale, but it wasn't clear whom or how many people. The District doesn't have any idea of the economic scope of the decision. They are waiting for a final award and hope to hear from her any time now.
The podcast is available here. The status of the grievance is answered at the very end of the podcast.
80 comments:
Typical isn't it! Is there anyone in politics or education that can do anything from writing legislation like Act 1, to teacher contracts to arbitration settlements that can write in clear, concise terms any more?
The last three teacher contracts are clearly written on sick pay and step placement for permanent substitutes who become contract teachers. Just read the contracts on they district website. Some of our teachers can't read.
There is intentional, built-in ambiguity and gaping loopholes to almost all laws, ordinances, regulations, procedures and guidelines in this Commonwealth. That's why all the courts from common pleas to commonwealth to superior to supreme are overloaded with cases on appeal. It keeps local jurists in a county, for instance, with twice as many attorneys as Washington, DC well occupied and highly compensated.
It provides solicitors for school districts and government bodies and agencies ample opportunity to issue biased and questionable opinions and decisions behind which their public officials can hide. And in so doing be able force the public to have to sue to achieve any degree of satisfaction. Same goes for the state legislature.
Well then apparently the arbitrator can't either.
The grievance came from three spreadsheets developed by an high school algebra ll teacher and a person in the personnel department. Unfortunately, the personnel department did not tell the Superintendent the spreadsheets were being developed. I guess departments in our school district just don't talk to each other and then we get a misunderstood arbitration decision.
The super should have filed an RTK!
What are the legal fees on the grievance?
...and I am still confused.
Seems like the District KNOWS what the award was but wants to keep fighting it on a technicality.
Legal obfuscation at its finest by the Board and counsel.
Good news for the Board was that the cost of the award (and during this budget they KNEW they lost the case) is not included in the budget they just passed.
Bad news for the Board is that the award will need to be included in some future budget at which time they will have kicked the can down the road enough to the point where they are completely and utterly screwed.
Sheet music won't be the only thing cut. I think they are good and out of that already, Mr. Remely.
Excellent point, 2:47 PM. If you strip down what Peterson said, the District lost the grievance and the board knew that when they approved the budget, 6-3.
Elaine
The District always has to have a balanced budget. Looking at the May 8 budget that was just approved, it is out of balance by $1,061,588. Why did the board pass an unbalanced budget?
Is this the grievance amount that hasn't been settled yet?
http://www.mtlsd.org/district/budget/stuff/budget%20summary%20may%2013.pdf
Elaine
Of course this will be, according to Mary, Gov. Corbett's fault, but Ralm Emmanuel and the Chicago School Board voted to close 50 schools due to billion dollar deficits.
Maybe we can get our grieving teachers to get hired there before they close. That way they can apply for unemployment.
Oh wait, once they win their grievance some may be able to apply for UC here once the board makes the hard decisions neccesary to balance the budget.
Correction-- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
The grievance includes higher step placement on the salary scale and sick leave credit for each year of permanent substitute service. These items run up the salary and benefit costs each year, so the cost of a lost grievance grows every year. That yearly accumulation of cost for 177 teachers will run well over the $1,1061,588 two-year cost not yet included in the school budget. Look for cost increases exceeding $500,000 to $600,000 per year for a long time.
If we had hired college graduates instead of permanent substitutes for these jobs we would not have this problem.
5:21, it should be District formal policy never to hire permanant substitute teachers as contract teachers.
Even though the District could have taken steps to reduce the risk to the taxpayer, this common-sense idea has not been made policy.
5:47, 5:21, sorry I have to disagree. The process of hiring consultants as full-time employees is standard practice in private industry. As well it should be in education.
What is wrong with someone that sticks it out as a sub, then a long-term sub getting first crack at a full time position?
That way the district is fully aware of their talents and if they don't have them they should've never been offered the long-term position.
The problem here seems to be the terms of the transition weren't apparently spelled out or the teachers NOW think they were taken advantage of.
If it's the prior the administratir are incompetent managers and maybe should be dismissed.
If it's the later and the grieved teachers are trying to change the rules of the game for their financial benefit, they should be dismissed.
It's absurd that this issue should reach back to 2000.
6:07 the issue reaches back to a Memorandum of Understanding signed in October or November 2000. It reaches back to the 2000 teachers contract. It reaches back to the 2004 teachers contract extension. It is included in the 2010 teachers contract. The union agreed to these terms four times, now they are trying to get higher salaries and benefits through the grievance process instead of bargaining for the benefits. The terms of the contracts have been very clear for years. Nobody took advantage of anybody. The union is way out of line here and is taking advantage of the community.
The contract is on the district website where you can read it, so can the teachers.
5:47 this has nothing to do with hiring consultants. The union is not barging in good faith.
not bargaining in good faith
6:07 and 6:55:
The District does not have any chance of winning the grievance.
See Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board case SOMERSET AREA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION v. SOMERSET AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT Case No. PERA-C-03-547-W and MONTROSE AREA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION v. MONTROSE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT Case No. PERA-C-06-15-E
PA Commonwealth Court case Greater Johnstown School District,
Appellant v. Greater Johnstown Education Association, Case No. 916 C.D. 2001
First, see how the court treated Districts that wanted
to get rid of permanent substitutes, Somerset and Montrose.
We're forced into having permanent substitutes.
Next, read the Greater Johnstown case.
The key part is:
The arbitrator had found that Section 1142 required recognition of long term substitute experience in calculating teacher’s step placement on a salary schedule.
Commonwealth Court sided with the arbitrator, and against the Johnstown District.
Then there is Mifflinburg:
http://sft1147.org/doc/MIFFLINBURGBRIEF.pdf
CHAMBERSBURG AREA SCHOOL v. CHAMBERSBURG
811 A.2d 78 (2002)
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.
Argued September 12, 2002.
The District cannot bargain away the Pennsylvania School Code of 1949. Read it.
Not a lawyer and I don't pretend to be one.
The half mill tax increase will balance the budget.
10:40 PM, looking at the budget document, I see that the name of the file is " budget proposed for website prior to bd action 2013 (2).xlsx" Does the budget proposed for website AFTER bd action show the millage increase? What is throwing me off are the words "Current Budget Out of Balance."
Elaine
The teachers union in Mt Lebanon has stunned me for decades! I don't think that there is an employer anywhere who could ever do more for such a tremendously ungrateful and frankly ignorant group of people.
There are million of Americans who are out of work. Many of them wish that they had a job. I have to wonder what they must be thinking when they listen to the childish, never-ending list of bitches and gripes that come from these folks year after year after year...
Year after year we hear claims about how important these people are to the education of our children and therefore they are worth their weight in gold.
But year after year we watch teachers and administrators retire or leave for greener pastures and there is narily a blip in test scores, performance etc.
Sure we've all a had a teacher or two that had a huge impact, there are many that have impacted many lives, but they all don't. How many teachers have been absolutely terrible, uninspiring, unimaginative in your school experiences? Yet we lump them all together, pay the best and brightest the same as the worst.
An interesting read...
Collective Bargaining in Education Negotiating Change in Today's Schools
Edited by Jane Hannaway and Andrew J. Rotherham
paper, 318 Pages
Pub. Date: Feb 2006
ISBN: 1-891792-71-7
ISBN-13: 9781891792717
Price: $29.95
http://hepg.org/hep/book/5
An introduction:
http://hepg.org/document/8/
Yes, terrible, uninspiring, useless, incompetent, unaccountable,. unprepared... did you graduate from Mt Lebanon also?
As for one who actually did something useful and changed the direction of a childs life - well give me a few years and I will try to think of a name.
No, I didn't, but even in a lower ranked district I can think of many teachers that I think back and thank my lucky stars I was in their class. There were others I can't remember their names right off the bat, but I suppose they did a good job. Then their are those few that I can remember their name, but as a look back wish they hadn't wasted my time.
Those great teachers probably should have been paid double what they made, the other memorable ones probably half.
I think this this observation holds true in every district as well as most businesses and that is what is wrong with collective bargaining and union thinking.
That is why the book mentioned is so compelling.
I can think of several MTL teachers that influenced my kids for the better. And several that were absolute horrors and wonder how they were ever hired in the first.
For the most part the teachers are above average if testing and rankings are real indicators. But one must also consider that the kids and their parents contribute a lot to there results.
A friend used to say to me, it's a lot easier to build a winning race car if you start with a Ferrari engine than if you start with a basic Chevy motor. Heritage counts.
I would like to say something about a teacher who was recognized on Monday night. Jon Batchelor is one of the teachers retiring this June. He had a huge impact on my son's life. Through his guidance and mentoring, my son just got his BFA in visual media and graphic design. Mr. Batchelor changed the direction of my son's life.
Elaine
Here's a thought provoking question, drawing on Mary Birk's report that the state should be sending more money to district's.
If Harrisburg can find the money, should it be distributed to districts like Lebo, where the kids have everything, have parents that are affluent enough to purchase books, computers, tutors, etc. to make their kids education the best possible?
Or should that money go to districts where the parents aren't as affluent, are less educated and the kids are starting out in life behind the eight ball?
Should the best teachers be hired by Lebo or should they go to district where they are surely needed?
Some of you are arguing decisions from schools in:
Mifflinburg
Montrose
Johnstown
Somerset
Chambersburg
The School Code
Some of these are arbitrators’ decisions; some are court cases, and the School Code.
From a legal perspective,
A) Mifflinburg did not review the subject of this arbitration,
B) One arbitration decision is not a binding decision for another arbitration. So the arbitration decisions are not relevant to this arbitration or this discussion. The present arbitrator should know that and her decision should not have been based on other arbitration decisions.
C) Assuming a court case or the School Code constitutes a binding legal condition, the Mount Lebanon School District would be in the unusual position of having a contract with the teachers that has legal provisions and illegal provisions. If the contract has illegal provisions then the entire contract could be void. A void contract would give the Board an opportunity to renegotiate downward the salary and benefit costs built into the existing contract. The salary and benefit percentage cost increases in the 2010 contract are 4.54% for 2013-2014 school year, and 4.59% for the 2014-2015 school year. These percentages do not include the additional pension increase in the current budget. No responsible board member should terrorize our community with such odorous increases.
5:30 you sound like someone with a legal background.
One would hope since apparently as Mr. Peterson alluded, the district won some, loss some, the board will ask the solicitor to investigate whether what you say regarding the contract is true.
It would appear that boards' based their contracts with the union based on wages and benefits going back the length of the grievance which now were faulty.
They had less money for individual teachers than they thought. So for instance they may have negotiated for a... say a 4.44% increase for 2013-14 and a 4.50% in 2014-15!
6:13 makes the point the board could have negotiated lesser salary percentage increases than they did. Good point 6:13, but they could have negotiated lower salaries anyway and they didn't. I'm waiting for positions and programs to be cut in the budget next year because of the damage the board has already done.
7:13 I was just wondering would the board have negotiated lower terms if they knew back then they had long-term subs coming on board with higher legacy cost.
I think you're right though, they'll cut positions and programs before they'll take on the union.
They could have scaled back the high school project too. Do you realize that out of 66 precincts (Scott, USC, Bethel, and MTL) Remely didn't get as many votes as we got in signatures to scale back the high school project?
Elaine
But he did talk to a lot of people that wanted him to stay on the board.
Probably shares the same imaginary friends with Ed Kubit.
It is my understanding that many teachers in Mt. Lebo originally taught in the City Schools, but could not hack it! Now that they are in Leboland, they act spoiled and entitled! If you can't make it in the city, then why are you still teaching??!!!??
11:30 where did you get that info? I do not believe that "many" taught in PPS. How many are many?
What do you think teacher's salaries should be? 25K per year, 35K?
Did you see the letter in today's newpaper?
So, again in the news are stories of how teachers risked their own lives to save the children we put in their care. In Oklahoma, one teacher was found on top of three children. The children were fine, the teacher was not. Another covered six more children with her body to shield them. Another saved a young child trapped under a wall.
In Newtown, Conn. -- you remember Newtown? -- teachers herded children into safe places and shielded them with their bodies. They died in hallways trying to save perhaps one more child. They told frightened and crying children that they loved them, so that in case the unimaginable happened they would die knowing they were loved.
And we treat them like dirt.
We pay them a pittance. We scream about their job security. We moan about their pensions.
I'm ashamed of myself today. And you should be, too.
MARK DAMICO
Some teachers are clock watching babysitters who work for three reasons: June, July and August.
Be ashamed! 11:30 said Mt Lebanon. Not Newton. Not Oklahoma City.
Mt Lebanon!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. DaMico, treat them like dirt, really? We pay them a pittance? Are you serious?
You asked how much we should pay teachers, 25K, 35K?
I'll turn that around in you... How much do you think they should make... 200K, 500K?
And don't play that hero card, don't you think the average adult, teacher or not would do the same thing to protect innocent children?
There a school here in Pittsburgh named after a crossing, probably making minimum wage, that died saving kids. How about volunteer fire fighters or under paid policeman that risk life and limb daily for much less in salary and pension than Lebo teachers make?
You should be ashamed of yourself!
12:12 --
The grieving teachers should be happy they have a job in their chosen field in a district Ike Mt. Lebanon.
From Smartbriefs on Business:
Poll results: What does the future hold for this year's grads?
New college graduates can expect to be in a holding pattern for the next two years, our readers predict. About two-thirds of those responding to our weekly poll forecast that members of the Class of 2013 will be working outside their chosen field in 2015, while less than 18% expect them to have jobs in their field of choice Some readers pointed out that our answer choices ignored the fact that many grads will change fields and do well.
Working outside their chosen field, waiting for an opportunity 66.28%
Earning a living in their chosen field 17.69%
In graduate school, waiting for the economy to improve 8.65%
Working as an intern in their chosen field, hoping for a paid position 4.66%
None of the above/other 2.72%
In the military 0.00%
May 22, 2013 at 5:47 PM said, “ . . . this common sense idea has not been made policy.”
Forget Policy. Try looking at Procedures, or better yet, Guidelines might be a better place to look. The board always approves Policy but there is only one Guideline they revised and approved for at least three years. Look in the Minutes Book in the mid to late 1990’s.
12:12 you seem to be insinuating that people don't want teachers to make a living wage!
you write: "What do you think teacher's salaries should be? 25K per year, 35K?"
How about telling us some facts to justify your question.
What is the average teachers salary in MTL vs the average salary of the community as a whole?
What does a MTL pay towards their health care vs contributions by workers in the private sector?
How about comparing pensions as well?
When I was in school submitting a persuasive paper in class without any footnotes or documentation to support my claims would get you a failing grade... has education changed that much?
On January 1, 2012 New Jersey did away with cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on state pensions. The elimination of the COLA produced a $13 billion benefit to the pension plan. The result is the younger workers in New Jersey are $13 billion closer to getting a better and fairer pension when they retire.
At home in bubble village we piled a huge pension increase on our residents and we have a high school project that is more attractive because it is more expensive than we need.
Also, at the end of this 2010-2015 contract we will be paying our Masters degree teachers in excess of $100,000 per year in salary in addition to $65,000 in benefit costs. Who in private industry receives $65,000 in benefit while making $100,000?
So Mark Damico quit embarrassing yourself by suggesting we pay teachers $25,000-$35,000 per year.
Yep and 12:12 thinks Damico's letter is great! On top of the generous salaries and pensions, don't forget tenure (job security) that no one in private industry enjoys.
Of course, 12:12 and Mr. Damico won't return to offer a rebuttal.
Mark D. you say you are ashamed of yourself and I should be too. You're right, Mark, I'm ashamed of you too.
Hey dimwit, Mr. Damico didn't write on this blog. It was a letter to the Post -Gazette.
I have absolutely no problem with a teacher making $100,000 year + benefits.
William Johnson, the CEO of Heinz, makes $24.4 million. That is generous, I'm sure that his benefits are good too. Why shouldn't the teachers of your children make a decent wage? Who should make $100,000 a year 6:03? All you want is low paid workers and CEO's like Mr. Johnson, no middle class? How much do you make 6:03? Maybe you make too much.
These are the realities of working in the public sector that teachers, especially MTL teachers fail to acknowledge or appreciate.
With their tenure, their union contracts and the ability to raise taxes almost at will the likelihood of being downsized or having salaries cut is almost nil.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/business/news/will-3g-capital-make-massive-changes-at-heinz-689173/
"Will 3G Capital make massive changes at Heinz?
By Teresa F. Lindeman and Len Boselovic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"
"Big changes in the number of employees on the payroll and their level of compensation also could be in the works. That is evident from what happened when Mr. Hees assumed command at Burger King in 2010."
7:36 how many Heinz employees have tenure and 3 months of summer vacation, a week off at Xmas etc. Now you think teachers should be making CEO wages.
Here's the deal 7:36, you want those kind of wages, go out and get them, no ones stopping you. Take some risk, start your own firm and pay yourself more than the CEO of Heinz. I'll bet the big corporate money earnersnever hid behind collective bargaining and unions on their way up.
Oh by the way, what do you think the CEO should make 25k , 35K?
Teaching is a calling, not a profession!
No dear, I asked you how much you made? Scared to answer? Teachers don't have the ability to raise taxes. Unions benefit everyone. Sounds like sour grapes to me. You wish that you had union protection.
Oh yeah, everybody in the private sector is rolling in the dough and making Heinz CEO style salaries, 7:36!
"For many, savings went bust in recession
[Vilma] Hart is among the two out of every three Baby Boomers who are in some kind of unfavorable retirement situation.
Surveys spell out in detail the depth of the problem. About 63 percent of displaced workers during the recession dipped into their retirement savings to pay bills, according to a 2012 study by the nonprofit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Middle-aged workers were most at risk, the survey found. Workers in their 40s and 50s had only a median $2,300 left in their retirement accounts.
http://triblive.com/mobile/4053487-96/retirement-boomers-savings
11:56 PM,why haven't you spoken up whenever I bring up the issue of Timmy asking for union concessions, when both he and Jan Klein aren't willing to take pay freezes year after year?
Elaine
11:56 sounds alot like a certain former San Jose union leader.
11:56, I make a fair price for my labors negotiated by me, for me and dependent on what people are willing to pay.
As far as telling you my salary it's none of your friggin' business. Why don't you tell us yours... What's the matter you scared.
No, I don't have union envy, nor am I envious of the Heinz CEO. If I want the kinda of money he makes, I 'll work my ass off to get it and not hide behind collective bargaining to get it.
But let's say we agree with you 11:56, lets pay every teacher - how much do you want - $100,000, $200,000 to start?
Tell us your highly thought out plan to pay for those salaries.
Please indulge us with you plan!
Good point Elaine. Maybe 11:56 would like to tell us why the USC super and finance director, the #1 district, felt a need to freeze their pay.
Notice to 11:56 while calling everyone else chicken and demanding to know personal salary info, is afraid to offer any personal info on them self.
There's another point 11:56 fails to admit to in their salary envy of the Heinz CEO compensation.
If his salary so offends 11:56, they can always stop buying Heinz products. They have plenty of alternative brands to turn too.
Last I heard, the Heinz executives can not go out into the public and demand we buy their products or they'll shut the company down.
This is why the teachers union fights so hard to stop charter schools.
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/07/09/nea-general-counsel-union-dues-not-education-are-our-top-priority/
NEA General Counsel: Union Dues, Not Education, Are Our Top Priority
General Counsel Bob Chanin explains to NEA convention why Big Labor is so powerful:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-piPkgAUo0w[/youtube]
Despite what some among us would like to believe it is not because of our creative ideas; it is not because of the merit of our positions; it is not because we care about children; and it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child.
The NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power. And we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of million of dollars in dues each year because they believe that we are the unions that can most effectively represent them; the union that can protect their rights and advance their interests as education employees.
This is not to say that the concern of NEA and its affiliates with closing achievement gaps, reducing drop rate rates, improving teacher quality, and the like are unimportant or inappropriate. To the contrary these are the goals that guide the work we do. But they need not and must not be achieved at the expense of due process, employee rights, or collective bargaining.
That is simply too high a price to pay.
Where to begin? First of all, there is little that is voluntary about the millions in dues paid to the NEA every year. The NEA is strongest in states without right to work laws, and if you want to teach in a public school that is under an NEA contract in those jurisdictions (like California and New York), you must pay dues to the NEA. It is the law. There is nothing voluntary about it. Second, that is tax payer money he’s talking about, which is exactly what is so corrupting about public sector unions: the government is lobbying itself for its own expansion.
And what are “employee rights” and “due process,” you might ask? Well, those are what require New York City to pay 700 union teachers $65 million a year to do nothing. Same thing in Los Angeles, where 165 union teachers collect a total of $10 million a yearfrom tax payers for doing nothing.
If you have the time, do watch the whole 25 minute address. Chanin recounts the rise of public sector collective bargaining, with a rapid rise in teacher unionization in the late 60s. He talks about all the victories the NEA has won for teachers since then. But ask yourselves, as the NEA has exploded in membership, budget, and power, how have American students fared? What have unions done for their education? Absolutely nothing.
Speaking of California look at this article in The San Jose Mercury News
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_23324450/san-jose-teachers-district-agree-landmark-contract
It's interesting that the popular liberal governor of our most prosperous and populated state has advocated teacher quality initiatives like the one in San Jose while a self-proclaimed conservative school board in Mt Lebanon , Pa can't speak ill or even evaluate the hired help!
-and the machine wonders why the vast silent conservative majority won't appear to vote for their teacher Union puppets that we call our School Board!
Here's is an interesting report on whether teachers are underpaid.
"Assessing the Compensation of Public-School Teachers"
http://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/2011/pdf/CDA11-03.pdf
It contains some very interesting research and studies which I have neither the time or inclination to spend countless hours checking. It I'm open to opposing evidence. An intelligent rebuttal would be welcome, but if all people like 11:56 can offer is mindless name calling (like "dimwit") don't, we'll understand where you're coming from.
Here is the conclusion from the study and some interesting points. Its rather heady stuff for those that want to understand the real issue of teacher compensation.
"CONCLUSION
After overcoming several methodological challenges to evaluating teacher compensation, it is evident that existing public-school teachers receive wages that are at least as high as comparably skilled workers, while their benefits and job security exceed what they could earn in the private sector. Overall, public-school teacher compensation exceeds private levels by approximately 52 percent, for a total of more than $120 billion annually in excessive labor costs.68 State and local governments seeking to balance their budgets in difficult times should take a close look at teacher compensation, which is considerably higher than necessary to retain the existing teacher workforce. More fundamental reform of
teacher compensation would scrap the existing rewards for education and experience—and instead pay market rates to teachers who are measurably effective."
Some culled facts gleaned from the study--
• The wage gap between teachers and non-teachers disappears when both groups are matched on an objective measure of cognitive ability rather than onyears of education.
• Public-school teachers earn higher wages than private-school teachers, even when the comparison is limited to secular schools with standard curriculums.
• Workers who switch from non-teaching jobs to teaching jobs receive a wage increase of roughly 9 percent. Teachers who change to non-teaching jobs, on the other hand, see their wages decrease by roughly 3 percent. This is the opposite of what one would expect if teachers were underpaid. Second, several of the most generous fringe benefits for public-school teachers often go unrecognized:
• Pension programs for public-school teachers are significantly more generous than the typical private sector retirement plan, but this generosity is hidden by public-sector accounting practices that allow lower employer contributions than a private-sector plan promising the same retirement benefits.
• Most teachers accrue generous retiree health benefits as they work, but retiree health care is excluded from Bureau of Labor Statistics benefits data and thus frequently overlooked. While rarely offered in the private sector, retiree health coverage for teachers is worth roughly an additional 10 percent of wages.
• Job security for teachers is considerably greater than in comparable professions. Using a model to calculate the welfare value of job security, we find that job security for typical teachers is worth about an extra 1 percent of wages, rising to 8.6 percent when considering that extra job security protects a premium paid in terms of salaries and benefits.
We conclude that public-school teacher salaries are comparable to those paid to similarly skilled private sector workers, but that more generous fringe benefits for public-school teachers, including greater job security, make total compensation 52 percent greater than fair market levels, equivalent to more than $120 billion overcharged to taxpayers each year.
As I said, I don't know if the info in the study is biased or not. I'm opinion to an intelligent and well-presented rebuttal. If you want to hit 'n run, name call... don't bother, we get where you're coming from!
Did any of you read the Trib article on May 25 that documented the excess labor and tax costs associated with the Prevailing Wage Law in PA (union labor and union labor wage rates required on all state related construction projects). This of course applies to the high school project.
Compared to competitive non-union, or free-market and termed in the article "Occupational" labor rates, Prevailing rates are 30% higher !
Here are a few examples for Allegheny County for just hourly rates, not including fringes, Prevailing v. Occupational :
Plumber/pipefitter $34.80 v $27.80
Electrician $33.11 v $23.54
Sheet metal worker $30.20 v $25.28
Bricklayer $28.05 v $22.85
Of course, the PA legislature, PSEA, MLEA, PTA and this school board & administration will argue that "it's for the children" and "absolutely necessary for a 21st. century education".
It would be nice if Matt Smith and Dan Miller authored or supported legislation that would make PA a Right to Work State...
HOWEVER, absent Right to Work Law in PA, let's simply ask our School Board to, "JUST SAY NO", when they are presented with the next union contract.
It really is that simple.
Of course the argument is that you need union labor to guarantee the work is done right..
Like runningducts thru elevator shafts and misaligning floors by 30 inches and improperly shimming steel.
As the saying goes: "close enough for government work!"
Allegheny Institute has something today that fits in with our discussions here. Teachers and Legislators Getting Schooled on Bad Policies
Elaine
From the Allegheny Institute report above:
"All this is now occurring in the reality of the massive and growing shortfalls in the Pennsylvania teachers' and state employees' pension plans. These shortfalls will necessitate very large additional contributions from the state coffers as well as school districts over the next few years if major changes in the pension laws are not forthcoming. The reforms proposed by the Governor earlier this year would go a long way to dealing with the problem. However, these reforms face enormous opposition from state employee and teacher unions with the threat of court challenges."
Keep that in mind when Birks files one of her Corbett-critical PSBA reports.
An interesting article, Elaine.
Which programs would you like to see eliminated?
I vote to wipe-out athletics.
Good luck with that Mr. Kendrick considering the lobbying effort of the Sports Advisory Board on the municipal side.
True, but it gives me a good feeling to dream about it!
To determine whether members of public-sector unions are under- or overpaid, there is no need to appeal to complicated studies. It’s easy to see that the unions do indeed demand compensation beyond what their members could earn on a fair and free market: they negotiate under the implied threat of strike. You don’t have to do anything at all, let alone threaten to deprive the public of essential government services, to get the compensation the market will already give you freely.
This is not to say, however, that all teachers are overcompensated, only that the teachers unions are as collectives.
Indeed, one of the groups most harmed by current union policies is talented teachers. They are almost always underpaid because the unions demand that they be paid not for their effectiveness but only for their seniority, which guarantees that they will be rewarded no better than their least-effective peers. This policy benefits the union seniority, but harms just about everybody else, including talented teachers and the public.
So, please, do not blame teachers for how screwed up our public education system is. They have been harmed by the system’s brokenness nearly as much as the public. Focus instead your attention on the union leadership from which these broken policies come and on the corrupted politicians who support these policies over the public interest.
Tom, I would agree 100% with your assessment, there are extraordinary educators in our K-12 public school systems. Your also right, that you can paint any group with a broad brush, be it teachers or "wing-nut' bloggers.
But, to try and excuse the teachers and lay all the blame on the union is a little like blaming the baker for being a glutton because the patron with cherry pie smeared all over his face and an upset, bloated stomach over ate.
Sure the baker made the pie exist, but the glutton didn't have to belly up to the dessert table and gobble down every piece and then lick the pie pan clean as well!
The teachers, being union voting members could push themselves away from the buffet.
Plus, there are other options available to teachers that protect their interest, here is one.
The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the non-union professional educators organization, established in 1994 by nationally recognized educators who saw the need for a professional organization that focused on student achievement without an emphasis on partisan politics.
Who We Are
AAE is the largest national organization of its kind with members in all 50 states.
AAE is a non-profit organization that seeks to foster greater professionalism in the classroom.
AAE serves professional educators who put the educational interests of students first and foremost.
What We Believe
AAE believes that professional educators should belong to an organization that promotes their profession above personal gain.
AAE believes strikes and boycotts are detrimental to students and to the reputation of teachers as professionals.
AAE believes the keepers of the status quo in education are self-serving and misguided. We know that students learn differently so a one-size-fits-all learning environment is counterintuitive.
What We Do
AAE provides professional benefits and services to educators, including liability insurance, scholarships and grants, and professional resources.
AAE promotes classroom teachers as professionals.
AAE only takes policy positions on issues germane to education.
AAE gives peace-of-mind to educators so that they can focus on what’s important–educating kids.
What We Do Not Do
AAE does not engage in collective bargaining. We believe that collective bargaining focuses on what’s best for adults, not necessarily students.
AAE does not spend any of our members’ dues on partisan politics nor do we support or oppose controversial agendas unrelated to education.
AAE does not tell members which candidates to vote for–a refreshing change compared to other teacher associations.
Association of American Educators is incorporated as a 501(c)(6), non-profit, professional association. Professional membership in AAE is open to any employee of an educational entity. In addition, parents, business leaders, and legislators can support our efforts by becoming an Associate/Support Member.
3:13 Correction--
Your also right, that you [can't] paint any group with a broad brush, be it teachers or "wing-nut" bloggers.
3:13, your correction needs to be corrected...
The sentence should read, "You're..." rather than, "Your..."
Many years ago PA Public School Teachers had the option to join the union or negotiate their own contract.
Those were better days.
But I also agree with 3:13.
Yeah, I intended to correct that too, but was a little quick with the Publish button.
It is interesting to read some of the threats made in Michigan by the "it's for the kids" teachers union over the right to work changes.
An interesting article out of Wisconsin:
http://www.qando.net/?p=11004
"Wisconsin public union collective bargaining law benefits education"
Jul 1st, 2011 @ 05:06 am › Bruce McQuain
"Byron York brings us the story of one school district in Wisconsin which sees the new law limiting collective bargaining by public sector unions as a "God send".
The Kaukauna School District, in the Fox River Valley of Wisconsin near Appleton, has about 4,200 students and about 400 employees. It has struggled in recent times and this year faced a deficit of $400,000. But after the law went into effect, at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, school officials put in place new policies they estimate will turn that $400,000 deficit into a $1.5 million surplus. And it’s all because of the very provisions that union leaders predicted would be disastrous.
In the past, teachers and other staff at Kaukauna were required to pay 10 percent of the cost of their health insurance coverage and none of their pension costs. Now, they’ll pay 12.6 percent of the cost of their coverage (still well below rates in much of the private sector) and also contribute 5.8 percent of salary to their pensions. The changes will save the school board an estimated $1.2 million this year, according to board President Todd Arnoldussen.
Of course there’s an additional benefit to this – if they run a “surplus”, they can lower taxes, can’t they?"
Under paid!? Apparently not.
http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/12/08/pennsylvania-teachers’-unions-are-losing-their-cool/
"Pennsylvania Teachers’ Unions Are Losing Their Cool
And their power"
"To make the sin mortal, Pennsylvania leads the nation every year in school strikes. In fact, the Keystone State experiences more teacher strikes than all other states combined.
And that is the reason so many citizens are scratching their heads. Teachers are universally respected for the priceless role they play, but when they strike, especially in a recession where the private sector continues to hemorrhage jobs, it is seen as a slap in the face.
While Pennsylvania teachers are first in school strikes and top five in salaries and benefits, the same cannot be said of student achievement — as evidenced by their 42nd –ranked SAT scores.
And you can’t just blame city schools for bringing the numbers down. In suburban Neshaminy, 33 percent of 11th graders aren’t proficient in reading, and 28 percent can’t perform basic math.
To the unions, money is the cure all. Pay more money (and better benefits) to the teachers while increasing funding for public education, and all the problems will be solved. But we’ve been doing that for decades, and education achievement hasn’t improved."
Truth or fiction-- first in strikes, fifth in salaries, 42nd in achievement. One would think our PSBA liaison would have the straight scoop since board directors are suppose to be working for stakeholders and students first! Staff second.
It will be interesting to hear how much the teachers and administrators contribute to the $6,000,000 fund raising.
Larry, can you read this?
Not to worry. We'll (taxpayers) be adding another high priced staffer that will possibly become a permanent employee.
Wonder who you have to know to get that job?
3:32, You have to kiss the ring of a high school algebra ll teacher to get a job in the district.
Gee, dearie 11:56, the person that thinks everyone needs to present their W2 to them because they asked... Doesn't feel an obligation to tell their salary when asked.
Isn't that interesting.
Nor do they seem to be able to debate any of the material presented here.
Most likely ran out of insults to hurl at people.
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