The Real Message about Unions

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Teacher Unions Chatboard

The Real Message about Unions

by LocoLouie in NY/NM

Jun 15, 2012

Wake Up People!!!!! We, as teachers, think of ourselves as professionals; when, in reality, we are merely hired help. Despite salary gains over the past 40 years ( I started at $5300 for 10 months and worked jobs over the summer ) we continue to compare ourselves to private sector occupations with the same level of education. With this poor economy, we sometimes forget the people who merely have minimum wage jobs to support themselves and their families. We will never have the prestige of the over priced _________ ( fill in the blank

with your own favorite cast of the evil empire ... see CEO's ) or the power of politicians ( with union membership dropping) so get use to having a target on your back. Just like that English teacher said at the graduation exercise, .." we are nothing special..." With the greed is good attitude of the seventies and the F*** the public attitude of government in the 80's, our prestige and influence has never been lower. We are still working class p...See More

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Sally I have been a public school teacher for 37 years in CA where living costs and housing are high, but no teacher in my district makes a salary of $100,000. Only the high school principals and highest level D.O. administrators make that much. I fail to see why teaching would not be considered a real job. To me, it is, and I take my job very seriously,...See MoreI have been a public school teacher for 37 years in CA where living costs and housing are high, but no teacher in my district makes a salary of $100,000. Only the high school principals and highest level D.O. administrators make that much. I fail to see why teaching would not be considered a real job. To me, it is, and I take my job very seriously, as do most of my co-workers. Not all, but most! Even though i have always felt appreciated by my administrators, I fully support my teacher union, and I like the way our union president signs his emails: United we bargain, divided we beg.

On 6/15/12, Teacher wrote: > Most people are screaming to cut our pay because we are indeed > overpaid for the amount of time we actually work. We may be > physically in the classroom for 7 hours but how many of those > hours are actually teaching. Really! We actually teach maybe > 240 minutes per day which is 4 hours. Many times there are > assemblies, parties, special events, etc. so that brings > theose 4 hours down to maybe 3. Then...snow day, early > dismissals, delayed openings, Christmas break, Easter break, > Thanksgiving break, all the single holidays. Then the > (unpaid) summer to rest up for next year. I'm a teacher but I > am embarassed when people talk about teachers' salaries. By > the way I make well over $100,000 but I have been teaching for > longer than you've been alive. I plan to retire next year and > get a real job! > > On 6/15/12, LocoLouie in NY/NM wrote: >> Wake Up People!!!!! We, as teachers, think of ourselves as >> professionals; when, in reality, we are merely hired help. >> Despite salary gains over the past 40 years ( I started at >> $5300 for 10 months and worked jobs over the summer ) we >> continue to compare ourselves to private sector occupations >> with the same level of education. With this poor economy, >> we sometimes forget the people who merely have minimum wage >> jobs to support themselves and their families. We will >> never have the prestige of the over priced _________ ( fill >> in the blank >> >> with your own favorite cast of the evil empire ... see >> CEO's ) or the power of politicians ( with union membership >> dropping) so get use to having a target on your back. Just >> like that English teacher said at the graduation exercise, >> .." we are nothing special..." With the greed is good >> attitude of the seventies and the F*** the public attitude >> of government in the 80's, our prestige and influence has >> never been lower. We are still working class people ( >> government's definition ) because we are members of a union >> and since we cannot afford the high priced lawyers like >> businesses can, we are effectively screwed. Do we deserve >> goo pay ? ( Doctors get big bucks for what they know and >> do.(just like us) but no one screams to cut their pay. Cops >> and firemen put their lives on the line but CEO's don't. >> Our job is to help the future of this country, so why >> should we be saying, " do you want fries with that?" Unions >> are still the only thing that protects us from the >> stupidity of the people. Congress has laws to protect them, >> whynot for us too ?

Nov 8, 2012

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waaa waa waa When the teachers in IL were threatening to strike over wages they listed the wages of every single teacher and their pay. I started counting the ones over 100K when I reached a 125 and had pages of names to go. They topped out at 147K other than one for 193K but I wrote that off as an error.

Teachers as well as most other government jobs ...See MoreWhen the teachers in IL were threatening to strike over wages they listed the wages of every single teacher and their pay. I started counting the ones over 100K when I reached a 125 and had pages of names to go. They topped out at 147K other than one for 193K but I wrote that off as an error.

Teachers as well as most other government jobs have never paid really well. You knew that going in or should have. If you don't like it you could certainly change careers and make more. Many have.

I always like the comparison to CEO's and Dr.'s. I don't know many teachers who could run a corporation. There are tons of people with as much education as you that don't make a lot more and those that make less but you always choose the top of the crop to compare yourself to even though study after study has shown teachers are not the cream of the crop in colleges.

As we tell our children take responsibility. Sitting around feeling sorry for yourself doesn't accomplish anything for you or those around you. If you don't like it either work to change your profession or find another one.

Or just keep sitting around crying to each other.

On 6/16/12, anon wrote: > Cut the "we" crap. You are no more a teacher than I am a rocket > scientist. > > You would never come up with an asinine post like this if you > were really a teacher. > > > On 6/15/12, Teacher wrote: >> Most people are screaming to cut our pay because we are indeed >> overpaid for the amount of time we actually work. We may be >> physically in the classroom for 7 hours but how many of those >> hours are actually teaching. Really! We actually teach maybe >> 240 minutes per day which is 4 hours. Many times there are >> assemblies, parties, special events, etc. so that brings >> theose 4 hours down to maybe 3. Then...snow day, early >> dismissals, delayed openings, Christmas break, Easter break, >> Thanksgiving break, all the single holidays. Then the >> (unpaid) summer to rest up for next year. I'm a teacher but I >> am embarassed when people talk about teachers' salaries. By >> the way I make well over $100,000 but I have been teaching for >> longer than you've been alive. I plan to retire next year and >> get a real job! >> >> On 6/15/12, LocoLouie in NY/NM wrote: >>> Wake Up People!!!!! We, as teachers, think of ourselves as >>> professionals; when, in reality, we are merely hired help. >>> Despite salary gains over the past 40 years ( I started at >>> $5300 for 10 months and worked jobs over the summer ) we >>> continue to compare ourselves to private sector occupations >>> with the same level of education. With this poor economy, >>> we sometimes forget the people who merely have minimum wage >>> jobs to support themselves and their families. We will >>> never have the prestige of the over priced _________ ( fill >>> in the blank >>> >>> with your own favorite cast of the evil empire ... see >>> CEO's ) or the power of politicians ( with union membership >>> dropping) so get use to having a target on your back. Just >>> like that English teacher said at the graduation exercise, >>> .." we are nothing special..." With the greed is good >>> attitude of the seventies and the F*** the public attitude >>> of government in the 80's, our prestige and influence has >>> never been lower. We are still working class people ( >>> government's definition ) because we are members of a union >>> and since we cannot afford the high priced lawyers like >>> businesses can, we are effectively screwed. Do we deserve >>> goo pay ? ( Doctors get big bucks for what they know and >>> do.(just like us) but no one screams to cut their pay. Cops >>> and firemen put their lives on the line but CEO's don't. >>> Our job is to help the future of this country, so why >>> should we be saying, " do you want fries with that?" Unions >>> are still the only thing that protects us from the >>> stupidity of the people. Congress has laws to protect them, >>> whynot for us too ?

Dec 13, 2012

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Broke FL Teacher On 6/15/12, Teacher wrote: > Most people are screaming to cut our pay because we are indeed > overpaid for the amount of time we actually work. We may be > physically in the classroom for 7 hours but how many of those > hours are actually teaching. Really! We actually teach maybe > 240 minutes per day which is 4 hours. Many times the...See MoreOn 6/15/12, Teacher wrote: > Most people are screaming to cut our pay because we are indeed > overpaid for the amount of time we actually work. We may be > physically in the classroom for 7 hours but how many of those > hours are actually teaching. Really! We actually teach maybe > 240 minutes per day which is 4 hours. Many times there are > assemblies, parties, special events, etc. so that brings > theose 4 hours down to maybe 3. Then...snow day, early > dismissals, delayed openings, Christmas break, Easter break, > Thanksgiving break, all the single holidays. Then the > (unpaid) summer to rest up for next year. I'm a teacher but I > am embarassed when people talk about teachers' salaries. By > the way I make well over $100,000 but I have been teaching for > longer than you've been alive. I plan to retire next year and > get a real job! >

7.5 hours a day. 30 for lunch, so 7 hours a day on the clock. Kids are at specials for 55 minutes, but I am grading and planning, meeting with parents and other teachers. Does that time not count because I'm not teaching? I'm not working?

1 hour extra per day every morning to set up for kindergarten centers: so now it's an 8 hour day, but those hours aren't on the clock. Does that not count as work?

Our assembelies require us to supervise and keep kids under control. Does that not count as work? Should I be paid less for non-teaching time?

Yeah, summers off are nice, but I'd trade them in to make a better salary. If you really were a teacher, you would know we're paid for X number of days a year, and snow days/Xmas break aren't paid for. I don't make $100,000 and no teacher does in my district. I made $38,000 last year. Many teachers in my area struggle to pay for health insurance for their families, (think double or triple what a car payment is) and we can't buy nice houses without a spouse that is doing well. And good like finding a man who is doing well in my area: they're all laid-off blue collar types.

Why don't you donate some of that nice salary to teachers in the south who are struggling, instead of perpatuating the myth that we are overpaid. Oh, right, you're not really a teacher. Just another troll.

Feb 2, 2013

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Broke FL Teacher On 12/13/12, waaa waa waa wrote: > When the teachers in IL were threatening to strike over wages they > listed the wages of every single teacher and their pay. I started > counting the ones over 100K when I reached a 125 and had pages of > names to go. They topped out at 147K other than one for 193K but I > wrote that off as an error...See MoreOn 12/13/12, waaa waa waa wrote: > When the teachers in IL were threatening to strike over wages they > listed the wages of every single teacher and their pay. I started > counting the ones over 100K when I reached a 125 and had pages of > names to go. They topped out at 147K other than one for 193K but I > wrote that off as an error. >

Good for them! They deserve it. I wouldn't teach in Chicago for any amount of money. I want to live.

> Teachers as well as most other government jobs have never paid really > well. You knew that going in or should have. If you don't like it you > could certainly change careers and make more. Many have. >

The posts here are trying to clear up misconceptions about teacher pay. These misconceptions drive the public to not support us when we look for pay increases. No one went into teaching to become rich.

> I always like the comparison to CEO's and Dr.'s. I don't know many > teachers who could run a corporation. There are tons of people with > as much education as you that don't make a lot more and those that > make less but you always choose the top of the crop to compare > yourself to even though study after study has shown teachers are not > the cream of the crop in colleges. >

They are the cream of the crop in Finland. Why? Because Finland pays teachers well.

No one said we can do the same job as CEO's or Dr's, just that they are professionals, too. (Since many teachers think they are professionals).

I have accepted the fact that I am not a professional based on the pay and treatment from everyone. I consider myself a lowly public servant. My pay is slightly above the principal's secretary (she makes $37,000, I make $38,000).

> As we tell our children take responsibility. Sitting around feeling > sorry for yourself doesn't accomplish anything for you or those > around you. If you don't like it either work to change your > profession or find another one. > > Or just keep sitting around crying to each other. >

Who is crying? Just stating facts to people who don't know any better.

Feb 2, 2013

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AM C level professionals are the ones taking from everyone including ALL other professions whose status as well as pay has dropped dramatically. We don't have the tax money to pay you as we no longer pay the income taxes we used to.

Doctors you say? I wouldn't put teachers on a doctors level at all but that is besides the point. Doctors inco...See MoreC level professionals are the ones taking from everyone including ALL other professions whose status as well as pay has dropped dramatically. We don't have the tax money to pay you as we no longer pay the income taxes we used to.

Doctors you say? I wouldn't put teachers on a doctors level at all but that is besides the point. Doctors income has dropped dramatically. As those same CEO's make the decisions on what doctors can be paid by insurance companies many are now going into BK> They can't afford their businesses anymore. Others are not taking insurance at all. They'll give you receipts and you file yourself.

Same with nurses. They used to do patient care, while doing that it allowed them to evaluate the patients status. Now min wage employees do that. Nurses only dispense medicine etc. They have more patients than ever and since they are no longer involved in the lower forms of care patients are not getting the care they used to.

All professions are suffering, all professions have taken huge pay cuts as C level employees are raking in more and more.

On 6/15/12, LocoLouie in NY/NM wrote: > Wake Up People!!!!! We, as teachers, think of ourselves as > professionals; when, in reality, we are merely hired help. > Despite salary gains over the past 40 years ( I started at > $5300 for 10 months and worked jobs over the summer ) we > continue to compare ourselves to private sector occupations > with the same level of education. With this poor economy, > we sometimes forget the people who merely have minimum wage > jobs to support themselves and their families. We will > never have the prestige of the over priced _________ ( fill > in the blank > > with your own favorite cast of the evil empire ... see > CEO's ) or the power of politicians ( with union membership > dropping) so get use to having a target on your back. Just > like that English teacher said at the graduation exercise, > .." we are nothing special..." With the greed is good > attitude of the seventies and the F*** the public attitude > of government in the 80's, our prestige and influence has > never been lower. We are still working class people ( > government's definition ) because we are members of a union > and since we cannot afford the high priced lawyers like > businesses can, we are effectively screwed. Do we deserve > goo pay ? ( Doctors get big bucks for what they know and > do.(just like us) but no one screams to cut their pay. Cops > and firemen put their lives on the line but CEO's don't. > Our job is to help the future of this country, so why > should we be saying, " do you want fries with that?" Unions > are still the only thing that protects us from the > stupidity of the people. Congress has laws to protect them, > whynot for us too ?

Jul 11, 2013

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