Controversial Pay Increase Angers Waukesha Teachers

Despite several teachers calling the Waukesha School District’s wage increase plan for the 2011-12 school year a “demoralizing” initiative that will lead to disparity between the most senior teachers and newer teachers in the district, the plan still moved forward Wednesday night.

“Why propose a supplemental income that decreases the longer you have been in the district?” asked Mary Schulz, who identified herself as a 29-year teacher in the Waukesha School District.

The Waukesha School District announced last week it had reached an impasse in negotiations with the Education Association of Waukesha, asking the school board to move forward with the controversial pay structure.

The Waukesha School Board approved an across-the-board $400 wage increase to teachers employed during the 2011-12 school year. In addition, the school district approved a supplemental pay increase that is based on the years of service. Newer teachers received a higher supplemental pay increase than teachers with more years of experience:

• 0-4 years: $800; Total pay increase of $1,200
• 5-9 years: $575; Total pay increase of $975
• 10-13 years: $350; Total pay increase of $750
• 14-17: $89; Total pay increase of $489

Teachers who did not return to the Waukesha School District for the 2012-13 school year will not receive the pay increase. The settling of the 2011-12 school year’s contracts were delayed because of changes in the state’s Act 10 collective bargaining law that limits public unions from negotiations except for wages. The last contract expired in June 2011. Teachers had wages frozen for the 2009-10 school year and received a 1 percent wage increase in 2010-11.

Teachers at the top of the salary schedule were previously compensated “disproportionally” compared to new employees, School Board Member Steve Edlund said during the meeting.

Additionally, teachers who retired at the end of the 2011-12 school year had negotiated lower benefit contribution shares, Edlund said.

“There comes a point when the negotiations are going nowhere and the board has no choice,” said Edlund, which caused a quiet, unhappy stir from the crowd. “Under Act 10, this is the way we operate. … Things are not the way they were and they will not be the way they were. This is the new way for us to manage our resources.”

Board Member Ellen Langill described the supplemental salary increases “a slap in the face” to the “outstanding senior teachers.”

“It is divisive,” Langill said. “I understand why we have to do it in some ways because our recent teachers are underpaid compared to the competition. … (But) I would hate to go forward with a tone that says ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’”

Edlund asked the teachers to not be offended by the supplemental pay plan, but rather to remain involved in the process.

“We are trying to attract younger bright teachers to come and be apart of our system.  I am not concerned about the higher end at this point,” said Edlund, which brought a reaction of disbelief from teachers sitting in the room. “I think when you are at the top end of the school making $80,000 a year, that is nothing to sneeze at, $75,000, $70,000. We have to recognize that everyone needs to be paid fairly.”