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What Do Teachers UnionsNegotiate from You?

By Ben DeGrow

Policy Analyst, Independence Institute

Jeffco Republican Mens Club (Nov. 09)

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Colorado Isnt California

School boards are NOT required to /forbidden from collective bargaining 42 of 178 school districts have a master

agreement with a teachers union 18 of 178 school districts have 1+

master agreements with other unions Master agreement: Exclusive representative

Teachers have Right-to-Work No requirement to join a union, but

about 75-80% join for various reasons

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But Public Employee UnionsStill Create Particular Problems

Different than private unions? Regulated (very little in CO) by state law

Provide essential services =monopolies and power to strike

Decisions are political, not economic(who elects the local school board?)

Government sovereignty = thenegotiation of non-equals

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What Do Teachers UnionsNegotiate from You?

Pay and Working Conditions

Job Protections

Union Security

How Do We Balance Concerns

with the Public Interest? Symbiosis: Central Bureaucracy &

Prescriptive Master Agreements

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Pay and Working Conditions

Single Salary Schedule Protected in state law; practiced in both

union and non-union districts

Nearly all districts pay teachers based onSeniority and Credentials

On average, each years gain + Cost of

Living = 6% pay raise, regardless ofteacher quality

Unsustainable and highly inefficient

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Pay and Working Conditions

Teacher Schedules Contract work week = 37.5 - 40 hours

Includes duty-free lunch

Includes minimum planning time

Annual student contactdays? Jeffco: 175-180 out of 188 school days

Weekly student contacthours? Jeffco: 33.5 hours maximum

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Job Protections

New Yorker, 8/31/09http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/31/090831fa_fact_brill

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Job Protections

Procedures in state law are costly &burdensome enough Alfred Wilder (1990s): $125,000

Susan Romeo (2000s): $145,000

Master agreements can make it worse Jeffco added extra grievance protections

for probationary (non-tenured) teachers Independence Institute report: provision

now nearly phased out

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Union Security

Payroll deductions: Priority #1 Robert Reich: Unions have got to have some

ability to strap their members to the mast.

Opt in any time; opt out between Sept 1 Sept 15 (Jeffco, Englewood) Aug 15 Sept 5 (Westminster) Nov 1 Nov 15 (Denver)

Non-members opt out

Teachers in 5 school districts (4 every year) Other employees in 3 school districts

Amendment 49 (2008): Ethical Standards

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www.IndependentTeachers.org

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Union Security

Exclusive Privileges No Competition Free access to meet in school facilities

Free access to communication systems Bulletin boards

Teacher mailboxes

School district delivery systems

Email systems EX: Colo. Springs District 11 PACE

Professional Development workshop

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Union Security

Union Release Time (Tax-Subsidized) Union Activities Days Allotments

Jeffco (275): District pays substitutes

Denver (250): Union / district split

Union President Classroom Leave 19 full-time leave from classroom 13

partially subsidized by taxpayers

Total Subsidy (2003): $750,000

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Negotiations and You the Citizen

Colorado has no law governing accessto school district-union negotiations Sessions

Records

11 states have a law that guaranteessome kind of negotiation access

Most Colorado school districts have aclosed policy

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What Can I Do?

Know whats in the Master Agreement Sunshine Act: available at district, CDE

Let the sun shine in Grill your school boards on policies State legislature: Open negotiations law Ally with local journalists

Take public funds off negotiating table Ban subsidies / at least ask for state audit

Support Independence Institute

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Contact Me

Ben DeGrow, Education Policy AnalystIndependence Institute 13952 Denver West Pkwy, Suite 400

Golden, CO 80401 PHONE: 303-279-6536, ext 235 EMAIL: ben@i2i.org WEBSITES:

www.i2i.org www.EdIsWatching.org www.IndependentTeachers.org

mailto:ben@i2i.orghttp://www.i2i.org/http://www.ediswatching.org/http://www.independentteachers.org/http://www.independentteachers.org/http://www.ediswatching.org/http://www.i2i.org/mailto:ben@i2i.org