Teachers' Union Official Shares how Budget Bill Would Affect Waukesha Teachers

Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill could result in some Waukesha teachers losing more than 10 percent of their gross wages, said Don Casey, a head negotiator for the Education Association of Waukesha, in an e-mail about the bill.

Walker’s proposed bill calls for state employees to contribute 5.8 percent of toward their pension and 12 percent toward their health care costs. The collective bargaining portion of the bill would limit the unions to negotiate their salaries but benefits would not be subject to collective bargaining.

“When the dust settles on this un-called-for attack on 178,000 public employees, where in some cases lower paid EAW teaches will lose 10.8 percent of their gross income, businesses that depend on well-paid middle class customers will all feel the financial pinch,” said Casey in the e-mail.

Casey estimated that the 98,000 Wisconsin teachers will see their paychecks reduced by $5,000 each year, creating a reduction of $490 million to spent in the local economy.

Additionally, depending on where the teachers are in their careers and salary levels, the hits could be greater. Casey gave the example of teachers who have a master’s degree and 30 years of experience would be a reduction of about $6,800 in gross salary.

“As you well know, Waukesha taxpayers already pay fewer tax dollars to the school district than they did in 1994 because of the QEO,” Casey said. “If any of these taxpayers believe I deserve to take a $6,700 decrease in pay to pull me down to some level (their level?) to be ‘fair,’ then in all fairness they will have to do without my business, visits or any retained goodwill. In all fairness to my profession and this financial assault, my voice will be heard. Revenge is a dish that is best served cold and this financial impact/revenge will build.”

However, Casey continues in his e-mail that the elimination of collective bargaining for benefits affects the teachers when it comes to sick days, funeral leave, layoff procedures, recall, termination, evaluation, wages for coaches and non-academic duties, retirement dates and procedures, prep time schedules and more benefits that are reached through the collective bargaining process.

“To have that all be evaporated by the stroke of a pen without due process and discussion is to me capricious and vindictive,” Casey said in the e-mail. “Just because you can do something to another, doesn't make it a righteous act.”