Move to Outlaw teacher's strikes in PA (Pittsburgh: home, layoffs)

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

One thing for sure, the property values will never go very high due to the wild taxes that have to be paid when these giant pensions start kicking in.

The pensions have been kicking in for decades, that is part of the problem all over the government sector and union shops. GM was not killed by current salaries, it was pensions and health care for retires. Older school districts are facing the same issue. If schools only have to pay for current teachers most of the districts would be swimming in money. This is part of the reason why boom areas do not have as many funding problems as older school districts.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Velvet Jones

The pensions have been kicking in for decades, that is part of the problem all over the government sector and union shops. GM was not killed by current salaries, it was pensions and health care for retires. Older school districts are facing the same issue. If schools only have to pay for current teachers most of the districts would be swimming in money. This is part of the reason why boom areas do not have as many funding problems as older school districts.

Wait until these teachers retire in a few years from now that are making over $100K a year. I would imagine their pensions are a dream. I wish I would have gone to school for teaching. What an amazing career! Six figure income and retire early. Work way less than any other job, but make more than most any other job. It is the greatest career I can think of... well in our region that is.

[South Range Family]

I've thought about this for a bit, and can agree with it. I have paid school taxes in Ohio, and Pa.

We watched the paper every year to see if our school taxes were going up in Pa. We had no voice in the matter. The teachers would threaten a strike, and a weak school board would give in to their demands without ever thinking about if the people had the ability to pay.

This adds a little bit of fairness by saying, "If I can't vote on my taxes, you can't go on strike"



I live in a very good school district in Ohio. We vote on every tax increase. 99% of the time it will be passed. That's because our school board knows that they had better have a good reason, and they present a well thought out case. They know that if they can't justify their request it will be shot down. The teachers have a good reading on the pulse of the community.


I think that we should all also compare our own situations to a teacher's to determine their wage value when we vote.

Our teachers are in the 60K-70K range. They work 7.25 hours per day, 184 days per year. Our Superintendant makes 98k working 8 hours per day, 260 days per year.
They all work in a climate controlled building, on day shift with all weekends, and holidays off. They also get killer pensions.

I compare that to myself.
My base pay is about 70K. I work 8.5 hours, 260 days. My pension was taken away.
I am a union worker that is governed by the Railway Labor Act. I am limited to when, and how I am allowed to strike. Most of the time the President orders us back to work before the strike even starts. They cite national hardships.
I work weekends, holidays, and midnights. I work outside in all weather, or a blistering hot hangar. I can be killed at any time in an industrial accident. I am exposed to chemicals that most people have never heard of. I can also kill hundreds of people with a single mistake. I sign for everything I do, and can be held responsible for as long as an airplane exists. I am responsible for moving 50 million dollars worth of equipment several times a day. I am subject to Federal drug, and alcohol testing. If I ever test positive, I will lose my license, and never work again.

After making those comparisons, I have a hard time feeling sorry for a teacher that loses his right to strike. They make up for it in other areas.

[hempfield mania]

Great post SRF..

[bradjl2009]

Finally some common sense! The police, firefighters, and teachers should be banned from striking! Your job is to protect and educate the public, not stand at a picket line and beg for more money.

[UKyank]

[SuburbanPioneer]

Originally Posted by hempfield mania

Proposal would outlaw teacher strikes in Pennsylvania

Sounds like a good start.

[bbrian12]

oh boo hoo for the teachers that only work 6 or 7 months of the year and get paid 100k a year for doing it. be lucky you have a job and quit whining for more free stuff. pay like the rest of us and work year round

[BrianTH]

It is interesting to me that people complain about teachers not being like "the rest of us", and then turn around and want there to be special rules for teachers (such as not being allowed to strike, or perhaps collectively bargain at all).

[Mr. Mon]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

It is interesting to me that people complain about teachers not being like "the rest of us", and then turn around and want there to be special rules for teachers (such as not being allowed to strike, or perhaps collectively bargain at all).

It's an odd syndrome. As opposed to asking why we as a society allow employees to be possibly under-payed and treated poorly the argument is that we should make certain public employees have it as bad as everyone else. If our society thinks paying someone enough so that they can afford to drive a Honda Civic and retire with some benefits is "extravagant" then we are in for a rough future in this country.

Also, do people really believe that most teachers make $100,000 and only work 7 hours a day? That is a really weak and easily refutable talking point.