Wisconsin Teachers shut down schools for 2nd day to Protest Elimination of CBA

Politics 512 replies 19,274 views
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 2:07pm
You know, don't you, that the Wisconsin bill is just a precursor to what is coming to Ohio?
CenterBHSFan's avatar
CenterBHSFan
Posts: 6,115
Feb 18, 2011 2:09pm
stlouiedipalma;683119 wrote:You know, don't you, that the Wisconsin bill is just a precursor to what is coming to Ohio?
Yep, there's a thread on it that I just posted on a few minutes ago, and it's all over the news and paper.

I have absolutely NO problem with it at all. In fact, I support SB5.
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 2:13pm
Yeah, I've seen that thread. Sounds like it's going to be fun to watch from a distance.
Q
queencitybuckeye
Posts: 7,117
Feb 18, 2011 2:20pm
stlouiedipalma;683102 wrote:There's no doubt that they are trying to save money. I don't argue that point. It's just convenient that the one measure they have proposed thus far gets the pebble out of their shoe, so to speak.

So it benefits them and serves the overall public interest? What the hell's wrong with that?
F
fan_from_texas
Posts: 2,693
Feb 18, 2011 2:20pm
stlouiedipalma;683072 wrote:Sorry, I made that last post without looking at the numbers which were quoted. Saving $300 million over a budget with a $3.6 billion deficit should go a long way toward balancing things, don't you think? If I had to guess, I'd say that Walker and Co. are doing this for the political advantage.


This was one of many parts of Walker's platform. We knew what he wanted to do, and we overwhelmingly voted for him and took WI red for the first time in a long time (if not the first time ever). The people overwhelmingly wanted to see significant change, and we insist on having. Some Ds playing hooky, along with a bunch of self-entitled college kids protesting as a way to get outside on the nicest day in months, doesn't sway anyone.
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 2:24pm
fan_from_texas;683138 wrote:This was one of many parts of Walker's platform. We knew what he wanted to do, and we overwhelmingly voted for him and took WI red for the first time in a long time (if not the first time ever). The people overwhelmingly wanted to see significant change, and we insist on having. Some Ds playing hooky, along with a bunch of self-entitled college kids protesting as a way to get outside on the nicest day in months, doesn't sway anyone.

Hey, if the majority of voters want that then they should have it.

Come back in about a year or two and let us know how things are working out in Wisconsin. Hell, if it works then other states will probably emulate this move.
Q
QuakerOats
Posts: 8,740
Feb 18, 2011 2:24pm
fan_from_texas;683138 wrote:This was one of many parts of Walker's platform. We knew what he wanted to do, and we overwhelmingly voted for him and took WI red for the first time in a long time (if not the first time ever). The people overwhelmingly wanted to see significant change, and we insist on having. Some Ds playing hooky, along with a bunch of self-entitled college kids protesting as a way to get outside on the nicest day in months, doesn't sway anyone.
Stick to your guns (assuming you are allowed to have them in WI ..... just kidding). I loved it when Walker told obama to buzz off becaue he has his own budget problem in D.C. Classic!
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 2:27pm
QuakerOats;683144 wrote:Stick to your guns (assuming you are allowed to have them in WI ..... just kidding). I loved it when Walker told obama to buzz off becaue he has his own budget problem in D.C. Classic!

Good for him. Nice to see a Governor stand up to the Fed. Of course, that works both ways. Maybe sometime in the future Obama can return the favor when Walker needs federal funding for one thing or another.
fish82's avatar
fish82
Posts: 4,111
Feb 18, 2011 2:31pm
Just came across an interesting nugget of info...anyone wanna guess what the average teacher comp package for the Milwaukee Public Schools is?
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 2:35pm
fish, you're driving us crazy with anticipation...
O-Trap's avatar
O-Trap
Posts: 14,994
Feb 18, 2011 2:35pm
fish82;683156 wrote:Just came across an interesting nugget of info...anyone wanna guess what the average teacher salary for the Milwaukee Public Schools is?

Average is tricky under that structure, because it has everything to do with time on the job. Thus, it can't be a telltale stat, in and of itself. The average can be swayed drastically, based on whether or not timeline is heavy at one end or the other.

However, having said all that, I'm going to guess more than I've ever made at a job: $45,000.
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 2:37pm
I'll guess it's around $72,000
O-Trap's avatar
O-Trap
Posts: 14,994
Feb 18, 2011 2:38pm
stlouiedipalma;683166 wrote:I'll guess it's around $72,000
Damn! That'd be amazing! Hell, if it went to merit-based pay, the low end would STILL be awesome!
Q
queencitybuckeye
Posts: 7,117
Feb 18, 2011 2:39pm
Tree fitty?
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 2:40pm
Don't forget that total compensation includes all fringe benefits, including health care and contributions to the retirement system.

That's why you see a lot of districts in Ohio re-hiring superintendents after they retire. They pay salary only when they do this and save the district all of the other costs.
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 2:43pm
fish, these are strictly teachers' salaries, correct? Don't be slippin' administrators into the mix now.
fish82's avatar
fish82
Posts: 4,111
Feb 18, 2011 2:49pm
100 bills....salary and bennies....teachers only. Admins not included.
O-Trap's avatar
O-Trap
Posts: 14,994
Feb 18, 2011 2:52pm
stlouiedipalma;683171 wrote:Don't forget that total compensation includes all fringe benefits, including health care and contributions to the retirement system.

That's why you see a lot of districts in Ohio re-hiring superintendents after they retire. They pay salary only when they do this and save the district all of the other costs.

Ah, good point.
O-Trap's avatar
O-Trap
Posts: 14,994
Feb 18, 2011 2:53pm
fish82;683181 wrote:100 bills....salary and bennies....teachers only. Admins not included.

I don't understand what you just said. LOL!

I'm assuming this is translated: "$100,000 ... salary and benefits combined ... and this applies only to teachers. Administrators are not included."
F
fan_from_texas
Posts: 2,693
Feb 18, 2011 3:00pm
stlouiedipalma;683143 wrote:Hey, if the majority of voters want that then they should have it.

Come back in about a year or two and let us know how things are working out in Wisconsin. Hell, if it works then other states will probably emulate this move.

In a year or two, I'll let you know how things are working out. For full disclosure, I didn't vote for Walker, as he is a bit too conservative for my tastes. But our state overwhelmingly voted for him on a platform made up precisely of issues like these. I think it's disingenuous for losers in the political process to take their ball and go home rather than play by the rules.

I was okay with Obama pushing through his agenda (e.g., healthcare, appointing judges I didn't really like). And I'm okay with Walker pushing through his agenda. If it sucks, he'll get ousted, and someone else will take a shot. But there's no need to be a sore loser like is going on with the Ds in the state senate here. This is exactly why we voted them out!
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 3:03pm
fan_from_texas;683196 wrote:In a year or two, I'll let you know how things are working out. For full disclosure, I didn't vote for Walker, as he is a bit too conservative for my tastes. But our state overwhelmingly voted for him on a platform made up precisely of issues like these. I think it's disingenuous for losers in the political process to take their ball and go home rather than play by the rules.

I was okay with Obama pushing through his agenda (e.g., healthcare, appointing judges I didn't really like). And I'm okay with Walker pushing through his agenda. If it sucks, he'll get ousted, and someone else will take a shot. But there's no need to be a sore loser like is going on with the Ds in the state senate here. This is exactly why we voted them out!

Fair enough!
S
stlouiedipalma
Posts: 1,797
Feb 18, 2011 3:06pm
fish82;683181 wrote:100 bills....salary and bennies....teachers only. Admins not included.

Wow! A long, long, long time ago I was in college to be a teacher. That was when the starting salaries for teachers in Ohio was somewhere around $8,000-$12,000. I got sidetracked and got into another profession, but I never looked back. Looks like they've improved their lot, at least in Milwaukee.
fish82's avatar
fish82
Posts: 4,111
Feb 18, 2011 3:34pm
stlouiedipalma;683210 wrote:Wow! A long, long, long time ago I was in college to be a teacher. That was when the starting salaries for teachers in Ohio was somewhere around $8,000-$12,000. I got sidetracked and got into another profession, but I never looked back. Looks like they've improved their lot, at least in Milwaukee.
A good chunk of it is benefits...I think the actual salary is 50-60K.(ish)

I don't begrudge teaches a single penny they make...they, cops and firefighters ought to be very well compensated for what they do. My issue is that private sector wages have decreased drastically over the past 3+ years. Companies are cutting pay/benefits 5-20% to stay afloat. Public sector workers should be subject to that same burden to balance state budgets. It sucks, but it's reality.
Writerbuckeye's avatar
Writerbuckeye
Posts: 4,745
Feb 18, 2011 5:59pm
That's a lot of money for an AVERAGE teacher's salary and benefits.

It's also not sustainable, I'd think, for just about any school district. The taxes would have to keep going up, up, up.

Which is why we have these proposals on the table now, and why they need to be passed. The pendulum has swung so out of control the other way it's hurting the ability of local bodies (schools, counties, etc.) to control their budgets without having to keep raising taxes. And that's not how the real world works.

Most of us can't simply go get more money from our friends and neighbors if we decide our salary should be higher, our pensions better, or we want a new TV.

It shouldn't be allowed in the public sector, either.
tk421's avatar
tk421
Posts: 8,500
Feb 18, 2011 6:52pm
Writerbuckeye;683365 wrote:That's a lot of money for an AVERAGE teacher's salary and benefits.

It's also not sustainable, I'd think, for just about any school district. The taxes would have to keep going up, up, up.

Which is why we have these proposals on the table now, and why they need to be passed. The pendulum has swung so out of control the other way it's hurting the ability of local bodies (schools, counties, etc.) to control their budgets without having to keep raising taxes. And that's not how the real world works.

Most of us can't simply go get more money from our friends and neighbors if we decide our salary should be higher, our pensions better, or we want a new TV.

It shouldn't be allowed in the public sector, either.


+1,000,000