Union curbs rescue a Wisconsin school district

[ProfJohn]

As they say the devil in the details.

Learned all kinds of new details about the union contracts from these two articles.
Amazing how just a few little changes can turn into almost $2 million.

The most interesting or outrageous details:
1. The teachers unions runs its own health insurance company and the school board is forced to use them only, conflict of interest? Nah...
2. Teachers only had to teach 5 periods out of 7 per day. Tell your boss that you only want to work 6.5 hours out of your 8 hour day, see what happens
3. Teachers only had to be in school 37.5 hours a week. "but teachers work so hard..." even an hour a day at home and they are working less than many Americans
4. And let's not forget that teachers only work 184 days per year. (average American with 2 weeks vacation and 10 paid holidays will work 240 days) Think of it this way. A teacher toped out at $80,000 per year makes $434 per work day. Professional making $80,000 makes $333 per day. And remember that teacher only works 6 periods (6 hours) a day.

This should really put an end to how hard teachers have it.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/06/union-curbs-rescue-wisconsin-school-district

"This is a disaster," said Mark Miller, the Wisconsin Senate Democratic leader, in February after Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget bill that would curtail the collective bargaining powers of some public employees. Miller predicted catastrophe if the bill were to become law -- a charge repeated thousands of times by his fellow Democrats, union officials, and protesters in the streets.
Now the bill is law, and we have some very early evidence of how it is working. And for one beleaguered Wisconsin school district, it's a godsend, not a disaster.

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, Wisconsin unions had offered to make benefit concessions during the budget fight. Wouldn't Kaukauna's money problems have been solved if Walker had just accepted those concessions and not demanded cutbacks in collective bargaining powers?

"The monetary part of it is not the entire issue," says Arnoldussen, a political independent who won a spot on the board in a nonpartisan election. Indeed, some of the most important improvements in Kaukauna's outlook are because of the new limits on collective bargaining.

In the past, Kaukauna's agreement with the teachers union required the school district to purchase health insurance coverage from something called WEA Trust -- a company created by the Wisconsin teachers union. "It was in the collective bargaining agreement that we could only negotiate with them," says Arnoldussen. "Well, you know what happens when you can only negotiate with one vendor." This year, WEA Trust told Kaukauna that it would face a significant increase in premiums.

Now, the collective bargaining agreement is gone, and the school district is free to shop around for coverage. And all of a sudden, WEA Trust has changed its position. "With these changes, the schools could go out for bids, and lo and behold, WEA Trust said, 'We can match the lowest bid,'" says Republican state Rep. Jim Steineke, who represents the area and supports the Walker changes. At least for the moment, Kaukauna is staying with WEA Trust, but saving substantial amounts of money.

Then there are work rules. "In the collective bargaining agreement, high school teachers only had to teach five periods a day, out of seven," says Arnoldussen. "Now, they're going to teach six." In addition, the collective bargaining agreement specified that teachers had to be in the school 37 1/2 hours a week. Now, it will be 40 hours.

The changes mean Kaukauna can reduce the size of its classes -- from 31 students to 26 students in high school and from 26 students to 23 students in elementary school. In addition, there will be more teacher time for one-on-one sessions with troubled students. Those changes would not have been possible without the much-maligned changes in collective bargaining.

Teachers' salaries will stay "relatively the same," Arnoldussen says, except for higher pension and health care payments. (The top salary is around $80,000 per year, with about $35,000 in additional benefits, for 184 days of work per year -- summers off.) Finally, the money saved will be used to hire a few more teachers and institute merit pay.

It is impossible to overstate how bitter and ugly the Wisconsin fight has been, and that bitterness and ugliness continues to this day with efforts to recall senators and an unseemly battle inside the state Supreme Court. But the new law is now a reality, and Gov. Walker recently told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the measure will gain acceptance "with every day, week and month that goes by that the world doesn't fall apart."

In the Kaukauna schools, the world is not only not falling apart -- it's getting better.

 

[ProfJohn]

Another great article about this whole thing:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703408604576164290717724956.html

The showdown in Wisconsin over fringe benefits for public employees boils down to one number: 74.2. That's how many cents the public pays Milwaukee public-school teachers and other employees for retirement and health benefits for every dollar they receive in salary. The corresponding rate for employees of private firms is 24.3 cents.

Gov. Scott Walker's proposal would bring public-employee benefits closer in line with those of workers in the private sector. And to prevent benefits from reaching sky-high levels in the future, he wants to restrict collective-bargaining rights.

The average Milwaukee public-school teacher salary is $56,500, but with benefits the total package is $100,005, according to the manager of financial planning for Milwaukee public schools. When I showed these figures to a friend, she asked me a simple question: "How can fringe benefits be nearly as much as salary?" The answers can be found by unpacking the numbers in the district's budget for this fiscal year:

•Social Security and Medicare. The employer cost is 7.65% of wages, the same as in the private sector.

•State Pension. Teachers belong to the Wisconsin state pension plan. That plan requires a 6.8% employer contribution and 6.2% from the employee. However, according to the collective-bargaining agreement in place since 1996, the district pays the employees' share as well, for a total of 13%.

•Teachers' Supplemental Pension. In addition to the state pension, Milwaukee public-school teachers receive an additional pension under a 1982 collective-bargaining agreement. The district contributes an additional 4.2% of teacher salaries to cover this second pension. Teachers contribute nothing.

•Classified Pension. Most other school employees belong to the city's pension system instead of the state plan. The city plan is less expensive but here, too, according to the collective-bargaining agreement, the district pays the employees' 5.5% share.

Overall, for teachers and other employees, the district's contributions for pensions and Social Security total 22.6 cents for each dollar of salary. The corresponding figure for private industry is 13.4 cents. The divergence is greater yet for health insurance:

•Health care for current employees. Under the current collective- bargaining agreements, the school district pays the entire premium for medical and vision benefits, and over half the cost of dental coverage. These plans are extremely expensive.

This is partly because of Wisconsin's unique arrangement under which the teachers union is the sponsor of the group health-insurance plans. Not surprisingly, benefits are generous. The district's contributions for health insurance of active employees total 38.8% of wages. For private-sector workers nationwide, the average is 10.7%.

•Health insurance for retirees. This benefit is rarely offered any more in private companies, and it can be quite costly. This is especially the case for teachers in many states, because the eligibility rules of their pension plans often induce them to retire in their 50s, and Medicare does not kick in until age 65. Milwaukee's plan covers the entire premium in effect at retirement, and retirees cover only the growth in premiums after they retire.

As is commonly the case, the school district's retiree health plan has not been prefunded. It has been pay-as-you-go. This has been a disaster waiting to happen, as retirees grow in number and live longer, and active employment shrinks in districts such as Milwaukee.

For fiscal year 2011, retiree enrollment in the district health plan is 36.4% of the total. In addition to the costs of these retirees' benefits, Milwaukee is, to its credit, belatedly starting to prefund the benefits of future school retirees. In all, retiree health-insurance contributions are estimated at 12.1% of salaries (of which 1.5% is prefunded).

Overall, the school district's contributions to health insurance for employees and retirees total about 50.9 cents on top of every dollar paid in wages. Together with pension and Social Security contributions, plus a few small items, one can see how the total cost of fringe benefits reaches 74.2%.

What these numbers ultimately prove is the excessive power of collective bargaining. The teachers' main pension plan is set by the state legislature, but under the pressure of local bargaining, the employees' contribution is often pushed onto the taxpayers. In addition, collective bargaining led the Milwaukee public school district to add a supplemental pension plan—again with no employee contribution. Finally, the employees' contribution (or lack thereof) to the cost of health insurance is also collectively bargained.

As the costs of pensions and insurance escalate, the governor's proposal to restrict collective bargaining to salaries—not benefits—seems entirely reasonable.

Mr. Costrell is professor of education reform and economics at the University of Arkansas

 

[soundforbjt]

You don't know any teachers do you? Ask them how many hours a day they work.

 

[ProfJohn]

You don't know any teachers do you? Ask them how many hours a day they work.

My sister in-law is a teacher and so is her sister so


And do the math. They only work 184 days a year. Let's say they do 2 hours of work at home for every day in school. That is 10 hours a day of work for 184 days.

184x10=1840 hours.

Typical 9-5er working 240 days a year works 1920 hours.
And let's be honest and remember that most people making a teachers salary (say $40k+) are working more than 8 hours a day, more like 9-10.

So stop trying to 'oh they work soooo many hours" BS. I have NEVER heard any teacher I know complain about how many hours they work over the course of a year. More likely I hear them all talk about how great they have it when they take 2 months off every summer.

 

[First]

You don't know any teachers do you? Ask them how many hours a day they work.

Yup. Teachers grade papers outside of their 5 periods and come up with curriculum for their courses, often 2-3 different subjects.

I think PJ is mentally handicapped or something.

 

[ichy]

There may be some underworked, overpaid teachers out there but they are certainly the exception. I know plenty of people who teach, and their jobs almost universally seem like they suck. I don't envy most teacher at all.

 

[First]

My sister in-law is a teacher and so is her sister so


And do the math. They only work 184 days a year. Let's say they do 2 hours of work at home for every day in school. That is 10 hours a day of work for 184 days.

184x10=1840 hours.

Typical 9-5er working 240 days a year works 1920 hours.
And let's be honest and remember that most people making a teachers salary (say $40k+) are working more than 8 hours a day, more like 9-10.

So stop trying to 'oh they work soooo many hours" BS. I have NEVER heard any teacher I know complain about how many hours they work over the course of a year. More likely I hear them all talk about how great they have it when they take 2 months off every summer.

lmao at a tard that says they've never heard of a teacher complaining about their hours.

 

[Zargon]

the other periods are usually split with lunch prep and possibly a hall supervision time.

if my wife has a 'busy' day she doesnt get anything done during 'prep' and has to do it at home

in IL you dont get SS as a teacher

holy crap that retirement package is the nicest I have ever seen


my wife complained about her pay till I did the math on her salary vs contract hours, then she realized it was pretty reasonable

 

[ProfJohn]

lmao at a tard that says they've never heard of a teacher complaining about their hours.

lmoa at the tard who doesn't understand the whole sentence.

Tell many how many hours do you think a teacher works per week while school is in session??

 

[ProfJohn]

the other periods are usually split with lunch prep and possibly a hall supervision time.

if my wife has a 'busy' day she doesnt get anything done during 'prep' and has to do it at home

in IL you dont get SS as a teacher

holy crap that retirement package is the nicest I have ever seen

How many hours do you think she works during the school year?

At school + home?

 

[hal2kilo]

My sister in-law is a teacher and so is her sister so


And do the math. They only work 184 days a year. Let's say they do 2 hours of work at home for every day in school. That is 10 hours a day of work for 184 days.

184x10=1840 hours.

Typical 9-5er working 240 days a year works 1920 hours.
And let's be honest and remember that most people making a teachers salary (say $40k+) are working more than 8 hours a day, more like 9-10.

So stop trying to 'oh they work soooo many hours" BS. I have NEVER heard any teacher I know complain about how many hours they work of the course of a year. More likely I hear them all talk about how great they have it when they take 2 months off every summer.

Once again in the same day you get it wrong. Most teachers I know have to update their education to maintain their certification. Meaning alot of them are in college taking a course or courses during the summer break at there own expense. Also because of the cheapskate tax payers there are never enough school supplies which many teachers also pay for out of their own pocket.

You union haters are basically just jealous.

 

[First]

lmoa at the tard who doesn't understand the whole sentence.

Your whole BS sentence: "So stop trying to 'oh they work soooo many hours" BS. I have NEVER heard any teacher I know complain about how many hours they work over the course of a year."

Still 'tarded.

Tell many how many hours do you think a teacher works per week while school is in session??

Minimum 50 hrs; of course this ignores the pain and suffering involved in dealing with K-12 kids, the constant staff meetings, courses, and certifications a teacher must take yearly (sexual harassment education, CSET, et al). Contrast that with (some) private sector workers that may work more hrs than some teachers but usually have a good 2-3 hrs of Facebook/Myspace/Twitter surfing daily when there's down time and absolutely no babysitting required during the course of their day unless they're in daycare.

Course, if you weren't such a 'tarded partisan hack, you'd know all this.

 

[sactoking]

I grew up in a household with 2 teacher parents and heard, directly from them:

"It is hard being a new teacher. You have to work 60-80 hours per week grading papers, designing lessons, and everything. But, you do get 60 extra days of paid vacation to compensate. And really, once you've been a teacher for a few years, all your lessons are planned and you can get away with a 45 hour week pretty easily."

 

[alphatarget1]

Aside from arguing about teachers being overpaid/underpaid, can we focus instead on the law's effects on the district's budget? I find it very positive that the district was able to save money on health insurance for their employees by shopping around for coverage. In the end, the WEA matched the lowest bid for health coverage, saving taxpayers money.

Democrats and powerful unions = fail.

 

[fskimospy]

lmoa at the tard who doesn't understand the whole sentence.

Tell many how many hours do you think a teacher works per week while school is in session??

My mom works somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-65 hours per week while school is in session, sometimes more. Around the end of each quarter and the beginning/end of the year, definitely more.

You're really on a roll with the whole 'making bullshit threads about topics you don't understand' lately. (I love the self confidence you display while walking in here and shitting your pants though)

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

OP, I don't think you have many substantive conversations with your sister in law or her sister. In addition to your quick and dirty math, you might want to consider the continuing education that is required for teachers. I come from a family of educators and, I would never categorize teaching as an easy job. Perhaps you should join the ranks of the 'everything I need to know is on the intarnets" crowd.

 

[alphatarget1]

For those of you in teaching- how much do teaching plans change every year? Doesn't the same stuff get taught every year? I'm not trying to belittle the profession, I'm genuinely curious.

 

[alphatarget1]

you might want to consider the continuing education that is required for teachers.

A lot of professions require continuing education.

 

[Thump553]

Meanwhile in Milwaukee 519 staff, including 384 teachers, are being laid off today because of Walker's "reforms."

 

[spidey07]

Holy crap look at that juicy pension! Imagine if 25+% of your total salary was just automatically dumped into an IRA/401k, you not having to contribute a single penny.

But this really just proves Walker was right, it will significantly save the state money. Hopefully this proof will catch on to other states as they try to remove the parasite.

 

[First]

For those of you in teaching- how much do teaching plans change every year? Doesn't the same stuff get taught every year? I'm not trying to belittle the profession, I'm genuinely curious.

I don't, but my dad does and his lesson plans change about every 1-2 years because a new course gets added to his curriculum (without him asking of course). Also, as someone else just mentioned, he's usually buying supplies and even has to sometimes pay a reliable student to help him grade.

 

[First]

A lot of professions require continuing education.

All teach professions require it, not even close to all private sector jobs do and frankly the constant staff meetings and courses for some new issue (harassment, etc.) are constant and done outside school hrs (8-3).

 

[Zargon]

How many hours do you think she works during the school year?

At school + home?

hell if I know, most of our marraige I have been working 50+ hour weeks


but she doesnt beat me home by much some days.

occasionally she does, but some nights she is doing stuff for a few hours after dinner

shes special ed, so she has less grading to do, but when its student eval/education plan time she easily pulls 50 hours weeks, which is a few weeks each semester

 

[Zargon]

Holy crap look at that juicy pension! Imagine if 25+% of your total salary was just automatically dumped into an IRA/401k, you not having to contribute a single penny.

But this really just proves Walker was right, it will significantly save the state money. Hopefully this proof will catch on to other states as they try to remove the parasite.

how is 13% now 25+ %?

even if you add in SS, its still under 20%

•Social Security and Medicare. The employer cost is 7.65% of wages, the same as in the private sector.

•State Pension. Teachers belong to the Wisconsin state pension plan. That plan requires a 6.8% employer contribution and 6.2% from the employee. However, according to the collective-bargaining agreement in place since 1996, the district pays the employees' share as well, for a total of 13%.

you'd have less rage if you could read I suppose....

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

A lot of professions require continuing education.

Which doesn't mean it doesn't require effort, time, money and, dedication.