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For over thirty year I belonged to a collective bargaining association, but we could not strike. I've seen the good and the bad of some of the goings on. In my past job, if you did your job right and were a good employee, you never really needed your association. It was when it came to contract time that you wanted to be treated fairly for wages and benefits.
But, I do have issues with teachers unions. Here in Wisconsin the teachers unions used to be very very powerful. Back in the 90s the state organization (WEAC) also ran their own health insurance provider (WEA Trust). They used to claim it was a non-profit but they made huge profits. They used to have it baked in the cake of their contracts that the school districts had to get their insurance through WEA Trust. At their high point they controlled the health insurance for about 95% of the school districts in the state.
Now, if a school district went shopping and found a competitor who would offer identical coverage for far less money, they would refuse and threaten to strike. Saving the taxpayers money was not going to happen. In order to avoid teachers going on strike our state passed a law called QEO. QEO was a qualified economic offer which was a tool to avoid a strike if they reached an impasse during negotiations. The minimum of the QEO was 3.9%. I don't know that I ever got a 3.9% raise but that was their minimum. Now the 3.9% was a total of wage and bennies but here's the kicker. It was their own insurance company (WEA Trust) that kept raising rates. They kept raising rates because they knew they could. They controlled the insurance for most districts and when they made their obscene profits they turned money into political contributions to get politicians elected who would continue their gravy train. They contributed to races right down to the level of local school boards.
This existed until 2011 when Scott Walker came into office and enacted Act10. Act10 changed a bunch of collective bargaining laws and allowed school districts to shop for competitive insurance plans. The savings were huge for taxpayers as school districts began to save millions. As of June of 2022, WEA Trust got out of the insurance business. After years of fleecing taxpayers, they couldn't make a go of it in a competitive market. Teachers are still compensated very well in Wisconsin but they are a very bitter bunch.
Now on a national scale we are seeing the power of teachers unions yet again, especially as it pertains to the pandemic. Shutting down schools was completely unnecessary. It was not done to protect kids. Kids are/were in the lowest group of danger from Covid. Shutting down schools was done for teachers at the behest of the teachers unions. Even at age 65 the positive outcome numbers for Covid run at over 98% and most teachers are retired for 10 years at age 65. The school shutdowns were a big wet sloppy kiss from this administration to a big donor.
How about sending federal agents to school board meetings to intimidate parents who opposed all the trans policies? Who do you think asked for that? Garland sent the DOJ to those meetings after getting the letter from national union. How terrible that parents thought they should have a say in their children's education.
Good teachers deserve good pay and bennies. I have no arguments with that. But in this day and age how many days or weeks can go by until we see yet another story of a teacher/student s#x case? A teacher found with kid porn? A teacher engaging in inappropriate behavior while in an employment setting? Grooming behavior? Their unions will be there for them all the way, trying to help them keep their jobs and licenses.
Yeah, I've got some issues with teachers unions.
But, I do have issues with teachers unions. Here in Wisconsin the teachers unions used to be very very powerful. Back in the 90s the state organization (WEAC) also ran their own health insurance provider (WEA Trust). They used to claim it was a non-profit but they made huge profits. They used to have it baked in the cake of their contracts that the school districts had to get their insurance through WEA Trust. At their high point they controlled the health insurance for about 95% of the school districts in the state.
Now, if a school district went shopping and found a competitor who would offer identical coverage for far less money, they would refuse and threaten to strike. Saving the taxpayers money was not going to happen. In order to avoid teachers going on strike our state passed a law called QEO. QEO was a qualified economic offer which was a tool to avoid a strike if they reached an impasse during negotiations. The minimum of the QEO was 3.9%. I don't know that I ever got a 3.9% raise but that was their minimum. Now the 3.9% was a total of wage and bennies but here's the kicker. It was their own insurance company (WEA Trust) that kept raising rates. They kept raising rates because they knew they could. They controlled the insurance for most districts and when they made their obscene profits they turned money into political contributions to get politicians elected who would continue their gravy train. They contributed to races right down to the level of local school boards.
This existed until 2011 when Scott Walker came into office and enacted Act10. Act10 changed a bunch of collective bargaining laws and allowed school districts to shop for competitive insurance plans. The savings were huge for taxpayers as school districts began to save millions. As of June of 2022, WEA Trust got out of the insurance business. After years of fleecing taxpayers, they couldn't make a go of it in a competitive market. Teachers are still compensated very well in Wisconsin but they are a very bitter bunch.
Now on a national scale we are seeing the power of teachers unions yet again, especially as it pertains to the pandemic. Shutting down schools was completely unnecessary. It was not done to protect kids. Kids are/were in the lowest group of danger from Covid. Shutting down schools was done for teachers at the behest of the teachers unions. Even at age 65 the positive outcome numbers for Covid run at over 98% and most teachers are retired for 10 years at age 65. The school shutdowns were a big wet sloppy kiss from this administration to a big donor.
How about sending federal agents to school board meetings to intimidate parents who opposed all the trans policies? Who do you think asked for that? Garland sent the DOJ to those meetings after getting the letter from national union. How terrible that parents thought they should have a say in their children's education.
Good teachers deserve good pay and bennies. I have no arguments with that. But in this day and age how many days or weeks can go by until we see yet another story of a teacher/student s#x case? A teacher found with kid porn? A teacher engaging in inappropriate behavior while in an employment setting? Grooming behavior? Their unions will be there for them all the way, trying to help them keep their jobs and licenses.
Yeah, I've got some issues with teachers unions.
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