In these shaky economic times, a 6 percent pay hike, retroactive, for this year and 4 percent increases the next two years are pretty good salary bumps, especially when most worker bees are getting 2 to 3 percent --- if they're lucky --- this year and next.
Apparently, Waukegan teachers don't think six plus four plus four is enough. After coming to a tenative agreement with the school board, teachers turn around and reject the pact a day before the school board was to adopt it. What's that about?
Teachers were the ones complaining they were working without a contract since June 30, putting pressure on the school board to settle. Sounds like a pretty sweet economic package from where The Hound's sitting. Perhaps teachers in Local 504 were unsure what they were voting for because the agreement was rejected by a vote of 400 to 327.
Unless there's something hidden in the proposed pact, school officials appear befuddled by the rejection. Sounds like some teachers are, too. From this corner, 14 percent over the life of the contract is pretty nifty addition.
Your whining might have merit if our teachers received pay that was comparable to salaries in surrounding districts, but they don't. They make considerably less.
Why don't you ask the superindendent to only take a 2% raise?
THE HOUND SEZ: Regardless of what your salary is, a 14 percent pay hike is hefty over a three-year period. As for your complaint about other districts: Go teach at one of them and quit whining.
FYI-nobody got a 6% raise, more like 2.6 - 4% in the first year, and 2% +2%. But thanks for not bothering to do any research and publish how selfish teachers are. Most teachers voted no because the changes hurt the students, like 35 students in High School and if the Administration wants to put 40 in the classroom, the teacher has no way of preventing it. Please do your job, so I don't have to do it for you.
THE HOUND SAYS: According to the Nov. 14 story in The News-Sun, the president of the Waukegan Council says that under the agreement, if adopted by union members, teachers would have seen an average salary increase of 6 percent this year and a 4 percent increase in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Sounds like you're below average. And don't try the old ploy "teachers voted no because the changes hurt the students". Who'd want to teach 40 kids when you can teach 35? Or better yet, some districts have 19 kids in the classroom. And, if The Hound did your job, he'd be fired. Check your district test scores, Einstein.