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if you had any idea of the kind of treatment civil servants receive, cops teachers social workers, the people that deal with our garbage, especially when they get near the point of retirement, then you would understand the need for unions.
the mind set of the american public--- if you work hard and are honest the government and corporation will treat you fairly.
americans hate unions, unions the only entity willing to help them.
it is most strange that americans cheer when someone gets a pay cut.
Well, I'm a non union teacher. I make $10K less than I would make year one in a district and never will make more. If I'm lucky, I'll get a 2% COL raise every other year. We have no retirement plan other than 2.5% of our salary put into a 401K (that will pay for a vacation when I retire) and I don't make enough to contribute myself. The benefits stink and we're told they're cutting them next year. So far I've paid over $2000 for my daughters accident in January and the insurance company has notified me they are not counting her hospitalization towards my family maximum. And I have no classroom budget. It just comes out of my pocket.
I don't like unions but I'd love to be in a union district. Sadly, the low pay, lack of retirement plan and lousy benefits will end this dream. I'm just waiting for the economy to turn around so I can start looking for a real job.
As is usually the case, in a unionized field, it's all or nothing. Either you have a union and have it all or you get nothing. This is the second time in my life I've ended up in this position. I solved it last time by going into engineering. Let's hope I can ressurrect that career when the economy starts to turn around. I know I can't work for what I make now for the rest of my life. At least I got to teach for a season.
I agree with what you said about working a union district. I would have liked to work in one too. In Arizona the union is very weak. I would say that over 1000 teachers statewide will be getting fired. My own district is cutting benefits, raising class sizes to possibly over 30, and cutting pay.
Wait. Teaching is not a real job? Hmm....... Well good thing you'll be leaving the profession.
I think that what ivorytickler meant was that it isn't perceived by many in his/her area to be a "real job" and the benefits in that particular area reflect this.
I think that what ivorytickler meant was that it isn't perceived by many in his/her area to be a "real job" and the benefits in that particular area reflect this.
How do the benefits reflect that? Many private industry jobs have worse benefits.
And even if that is what they meant its still odd. So, you're going to be a teacher because some people think its not a "real job"?
Regardless, public unions are almost always a disaster. They do little more than hike up wages to levels that are not economically justified. Unions are rent-seeking organizations. Little different than the landlord who wants to keep raising your rent even though the people in the community are not making any more money than they did before.
How do the benefits reflect that? Many private industry jobs have worse benefits.
And even if that is what they meant its still odd. So, you're going to be a teacher because some people think its not a "real job"?
Regardless, public unions are almost always a disaster. They do little more than hike up wages to levels that are not economically justified. Unions are rent-seeking organizations. Little different than the landlord who wants to keep raising your rent even though the people in the community are not making any more money than they did before.
I think he is saying he doesn't want to do the job anymore because it is not respected as a real job. That's not how I feel personally, but simply how I interpreted the post.
Assuming the poster has a 4 year degree, possibly even a master's degree, it would not be difficult to improve upon the benefits (or lack thereof) that were mentioned in the post. Maybe they are exaggerated because those benefits are pretty poor.
I can see why people don't like the teacher's union and blame teachers for wanting more money at their state's expense, supporting (Left Wing and Liberal)political causes that don't truely represent ALL teachers, and just having a policy in place that makes it practically impossible for a teacher to get fired.
This is really a state by state issue. Here in my homestate the NJEA is practically a maffia. Hard times? Too bad, we will concede nothing. This in a state where teachers are paid quite well and benefits are unlike any other field. Yet, other states do not have it nearly as good.
How do the benefits reflect that? Many private industry jobs have worse benefits.
And even if that is what they meant its still odd. So, you're going to be a teacher because some people think its not a "real job"?
Regardless, public unions are almost always a disaster. They do little more than hike up wages to levels that are not economically justified. Unions are rent-seeking organizations. Little different than the landlord who wants to keep raising your rent even though the people in the community are not making any more money than they did before.
People can't make more money if company's that are not unionized seem to put a monopoly on keeping salaries low. I'M DIGRESSING A LITTLE HERE BUT I HOPE MY POINT IS WELL TAKEN.
Companies are thinking about their bottom line, instead of paying PEOPLE A LIVABLE WAGE. I'm not saying that a company shouldn't make a profit or that they should be paying their employees more than what the market demands. But, when I hear companies say that they have a profit loss of 20% from last years, I go, WAIT A MINUTE, YOU STILL MADE A PROFIT THOUGH. Their profit may have dropped from 55% down to 35%( I AM TALKING ABOUT AFTER EXPENSES ARE PAID, EMPLOYEE PAID BENEFITS, ETC) and yet, they are ready to freeze salaries or worse cut jobs just to make a higher profit for the next year.
How can a consumer buy a company's product he works for when the company's bottom line is TO KEEP WAGES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE? Yet each year that same company goes up on the prices of the products that the company sells. Every time that company sells something that I can't afford to buy, that means that company has less consumers able to afford to buy that product, thus hurting sells or furture profits.
The USA's economy is based on 2/3 of what consumers spend, and if consumers can't afford to buy those 25,000 cars, those 200,000 houses, or those $500 video game players, then how in the heck can that company afford to keep wages low. To me it's a catch-22 situation. What the real deal is to keep people's wages low, and allow them to use credit that they shouldn't be using to buy those same items because it allows the credit cards to earn interest and the companies to continue to keep their products selling--even though peole are willing to bite more than they can CHEW because we as a country have been brainwashed to think that consuming what we don't need allows us to feel rich or keeping up with the Jones.
This is why our country is in the economic crisis now, wages didn't go up as fast as the house did, banks didn't care who they gave loans too, and unionized jobs like teaching, fought to keep teachers salaries in line with the cost of living and inflation. By the way CA teachers, I HAVE TO ADMIT ARE THE HIGHEST PAID IN THE USA NOW. Teachers are maxing out in my district at $91,000 (some districts with their budget cuts have higher max out scales), and when you factor in the cost of living in CA, we make 17% higher than the national average. I think the average CA teacher salary is $64,000. SO I AM NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT MY SALARY WHAT SO EVER.
As a teacher in a "fair share " district, for years I paid full dues. The former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich was diverting Teacher Retirement System (TRS) funds to other budgetary areas. It was well publicized and yet the Illinois Education Association, in all its wisdom, fully endorsed him in his last bid for re-election. At that moment, I began paying only my "fair share" and flatly refused to pay membership dues to an organization that did not have its members' best interests in mind. I did not care to receive the publications either, teachers were not portrayed as caring, professional individuals, but rather came across much like the Teamsters Union. I believe that the unions are a large part of what it wrong with public education.
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reps for you huck!
. And I have no classroom budget. It just comes out of my pocket. 
fully endorsed him in his last bid for re-election. At that moment, I began paying only my "fair share" and flatly refused to pay membership dues to an organization that did not have its members' best interests in mind. I did not care to receive the publications either, teachers were not portrayed as caring, professional individuals, but rather came across much like the Teamsters Union. I believe that the unions are a large part of what it wrong with public education.
