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The faltering economy has put unions at a crossroads nationwide: How much should they compromise with cash-strapped cities, counties, and states trimming their wage bill?

So far, unions have frequently shown a willingness to make concessions – realizing that their members are not immune from the crisis. But in many cases, they are balking at the stark terms being proposed. It points to a growing showdown between unions and employers, as each contests the other’s appraisal of the situation and the remedies that will be sufficient.

…. “Unions and union members tend to feel the same as anyone right now – that you’re lucky to have a job,”

I am teacher in the AASD perhaps I can take a stab at your thoughts. I don't see much sign of Bait n Switch in this … article.... In terms of the administrators or teachers surrendering pay or health insurance to cover th[e state] cap, this violates the prevailing wage theory of skilled workers. Prevailing wage is the idea that workers who are skilled have to be paid approximately the same wage within industry or else the company will simply lose their workers as [you] try to cut pay. The same thing would happen in the AASD just as it would if Miller Electric tried to cut wages. Because both Miller Electric and AASD have a large number of skilled laborers, a pay cut would merely make them uncompetitive in respective industries. Thanks.

I think there may be many experienced, qualified folks very willing to work at a public sector job for the same wages as paid in 2008. Or 2007, for that matter. The folks still working at Miller Electric are pleased to still have their job. Please look at the economic environment around you. Wow. This is not the time to be claiming that employees need a raise to stay in their jobs.

… are you saying people that are employed should take a pay cut because the unemployed don't have a job? Admittedly that idea would have a vein of populism to it, but it sounds like it was stolen from a certain little Red Book….My line of thinking is that if more employees (public or private) get pay raises, the end result would be an increase in consumer demand and perhaps an end to the recession.

My point was that I don't feel pay cuts for skilled employees create the savings you think it will without serious consequences to the AASD. If the AASD fails to pay prevailing wage for teachers, the teachers will find employment elsewhere or future skilled teachers will not apply to a Low Pay district. This is the rule of prevailing wages: no matter what the industry, the prevailing wage must be paid or else you lose skilled employees be they bank executives, nurses, or corporate lawyers.

If your suggestion is that the teachers not have benefits [my suggestion was nothing of the sort] and their pay be more reflective of the private sector counterparts, then I do see some potential merit in that. It is very expensive for the teachers to maintain health insurance coverage with insurance rates rising as much as they have. Teachers have sacrificed much in salary to keep that health insurance. To exchange our current health insurance coverage for a massive pay increase would therefore be more reflective of our private industry counterparts.

Chad, your comments rendered me speechless. For days. Simply unbelievable. First of all, I repeat, I am not talking about salary cuts. I am not talking about cutting tax rates,/i> either. (Tax rates don't mean a thing. It's total tax levies and relative burdens that are analyzed and compared, year-to-year.) Also, as long as you are throwing misstatements around, the Manhattan Institute study doesn't say teachers are overpaid. It says they are paid commensurate with private sector employees. The information is helpful in assessing the necessity in the market for ever higher salary and benefit costs to a community.

Here's the deal Chad. We are, throughout our community, state and nation, in an economic recession. Private sector companies are laying off employees and actually cutting pay. Many public sector jobs are having salaries frozen, in exchange for no or limited layoffs. At the same time, AASD has seen the need for more teachers to push down class sizes, a worthy goal. Your union continues to claim they are in this 'for the kids.' Given the economic environment and market situation, I'm simply saying that one effective alternative is to freeze salaries at AASD and bid out the health insurance. That would go a long way toward saving 44 jobs and bringing class sizes down to the administration's claimed goals. Freezing salaries is in no way 'cutting our education needs.' You are wrong to insinuate it. Many teachers I know are very pleased to have the secure job, health care and pension they now have and would gladly accept the same salary and benefits as last year if all could keep their jobs and the kids could benefit from reduced class sizes.

Jo (Tue Mar 17 03:55:56 2009)

Jo, I can't begin to express my relief that you managed a reply. I was concerned you might haven't fallen ill, but it appears that only ailment i need to stress over is your speechlessness.

But then again maybe there is more here that you a admit to. How is your vision Jo? Because I never said you were offering salary cuts. I only raised point that if you fail to pay a prevailing wage, then you will lose quality employee. This principle is well accepted in both the private and public industries.

As an unapologetic free-marketer, I can't help but think that government interference in both wages and benefits no nothing but harm balance the market worked so hard to create. Now Jo, if you are saying public employees should be able to find their correct market wages and benefits through unrestricted and fair negotiations like everyone else, then perhaps we are like-minded. But somehow Jo, i am sensing you wish for government to step in and create laws that restrict negotiations for public employees for either wages or benefits. I am too much of a capitalism to agree to that idea.
Thanks
Chad
P.S. you failed to answer my question about why the Fox Valley has had greater wages and lower unemployment than that rest of the state. Would you be able to offer your opinion on what is the most important engine for the valley's economy?

Chad (Tue Mar 17 21:26:25 2009)

I can't confirm your wage/unemployment data. Perhaps you could link to appropriate sources. Any number of factors impact wage/employment data. Quality of K-12 education is most likely a minor variable. But again, show me your data. So far, you've presented assumptions, hypotheses and relational (not causal) data.

While you're at it, you may want to share data that clearly registers outcomes for AASD students. And that doesn't include the NCLB testing done by Wisconsin (WAES? - am I using the correct acronym - eek, not coming to me), where performance standards are lower than most other states. That is indisputable. I'll provide the data link if you want it (won't take time now), but ask AASD administration and the School Board - they know state standards are unacceptable and are continuously looking at alternative testing and performance measurement tools.

To talk about capitalism and public employees (i.e., no bottom line) in the same sentence is less accurate than not. The only place it applies is the claim I think you made several days ago something to the effect that when the community pays public employees more, they then have more to spend. How/why does that impact a local and national economy more than if those same members of a community keep those extra dollars in their own pockets? I believe your discussion of capitalism and public employee salaries is uninformed. (And your tone is getting a bit nasty.....)

Jo (Tue Mar 17 21:42:28 2009)

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