Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Huntley Teachers Yanked Huntley Board of Education's Chain Last Night - Hard
Rather than ask for less and narrow the differences, the Huntley Educational Association (HEA) literally asked for more--in writing--last night.
That's the word on the street and I doubt the HEA will formally deny it.
Indeed, as the teachers' union rolls over the school board (the board is bragging about offering 17.8% over three years!), why should the union alert taxpayers of how much of the Huntley School District 158 treasury they are about to win?
But do HEA members know this upping of the ante by Co-Presidents Julie Hunter and Kim Ashenbach will be keeping them out of work longer?
Now, for the first time during negotiations, the HEA is asking for two fewer workdays. Even the HEA's last counterproposal didn't ask for this.
This is called yanking the Board of Education's chain.
Hard.
Anyone think the co-presidents are going to admit to their members this is how they are trying to reach a settlement?
Not a chance.
How about this for twisting the tail of the Board of Education last night?
The teachers also decided to ask for more financial concessions than they were requesting Sunday night.
Previously the HEA had asked for part of their Teachers Retirement System payments to be made in year 1...in addition to the salary increases; now they want increasing TRS payments included in years 2 and 3.
Last night, the HEA started asking for TRS every year of the contract.
Apparently the board has caved so much, the teachers think they can extract even more money from the taxpayers. All they have to do is ask.
Meanwhile, Brit Crow, a music teacher on the HEA negotiating committee, has her fellow leaders convinced to stay on strike until she gets a new contract provision that would benefit herself personally.
It must be difficult to be a servant leader when one has as much power as has been delegated to members of the union negotiating team.
Crow wants to be more special than regular classroom teachers and officially be required to work fewer classroom hours than other, more "ordinary" elementary teachers.
This is an IEA union "equality" argument tipped upside down. She has told the Board the solution is easy:
Of course, parent union Illinois Education Association is a major reason there is a strike in Huntley.
The IEA's real target is Crystal Lake Elementary District 47.
You see, there are only two school districts around these parts which are not paying both the district share of TRS pension contributions for their teachers, but also that part state law requires teachers to pay themselves.
The IEA wants to dig into Crystal Lake's coffers in their next contract.
When Huntley caves, the union will be able to tell Crystal Lake they are the only hold out on paying the teacher portion of their pension payment.
When I was state representative, I had to pay 11.5% of my salary, since I wanted my wife to have a survivor annuity. Single folks could pay 9.5%. (If I haven't personally thanked you for my generous pension, let me take this opportunity to do so. It allows me the time to write McHenry County Blog.)
Those were after-tax dollars.
Those are the kind of dollars that people use to pay their share of Social Security.
People in the private sector might ask their employers if they would, pretty please, pay their employee share of Social Security as well as the employer’s share.
That's essentially the goal of the state union for all teachers.
But back to the implications for Crystal Lake.
Huntley is the treasurer chest of tax dollars that the IEA needs to step on and crush like an empty juice box.
Who cares if taxpayers have to pass another 55-cent tax hike to fill it back up?
This is the “fair” part that is on the IEA signs. It’s “fair” to trample on any taxpayers who get in the union’s way.
The second IEA big push item is holding out for guaranteed automatic 6% raises for last four years of salary for any teacher who might retire. That's in order to increase the final pension base by 26¼%.
Bet your private sector employer would agree with that in a heartbeat.
At a meeting I attended, only two teachers were introduced as retiring, so it's not big money now. But in future years...
The IEA wants to put a Huntley School District scalp on its belt.
They want to add Huntley to the list of districts that caved on this, so they can go hammer other districts for this concession.
This is one of the IEA “pattern” concessions that the union is methodically going after throughout the State.
But is it a good reason for the Huntley teachers to be on strike?
If having teacher unions be able to strike throughout the United States is the “Change That’s Needed” by Obama, Huntley's experience should be closely watched.
Turning down a 17.8% salary increase over three years and striking could be pointed to by the John McCain campaign as the exclamation point showing how Obama has failed to lead in Illinois. I wonder if any Democrats are embarrassed--even a tiny bit--by what is going on in Huntley.
All photos may be enlarged by clicking on them.
That's the word on the street and I doubt the HEA will formally deny it.
Indeed, as the teachers' union rolls over the school board (the board is bragging about offering 17.8% over three years!), why should the union alert taxpayers of how much of the Huntley School District 158 treasury they are about to win?But do HEA members know this upping of the ante by Co-Presidents Julie Hunter and Kim Ashenbach will be keeping them out of work longer?
Now, for the first time during negotiations, the HEA is asking for two fewer workdays. Even the HEA's last counterproposal didn't ask for this.
This is called yanking the Board of Education's chain.
Hard.Anyone think the co-presidents are going to admit to their members this is how they are trying to reach a settlement?
Not a chance.
How about this for twisting the tail of the Board of Education last night?
The teachers also decided to ask for more financial concessions than they were requesting Sunday night.
Previously the HEA had asked for part of their Teachers Retirement System payments to be made in year 1...in addition to the salary increases; now they want increasing TRS payments included in years 2 and 3.Last night, the HEA started asking for TRS every year of the contract.
Apparently the board has caved so much, the teachers think they can extract even more money from the taxpayers. All they have to do is ask.
Meanwhile, Brit Crow, a music teacher on the HEA negotiating committee, has her fellow leaders convinced to stay on strike until she gets a new contract provision that would benefit herself personally.
It must be difficult to be a servant leader when one has as much power as has been delegated to members of the union negotiating team.
Crow wants to be more special than regular classroom teachers and officially be required to work fewer classroom hours than other, more "ordinary" elementary teachers.
This is an IEA union "equality" argument tipped upside down. She has told the Board the solution is easy:Spend the money on hiring more music teachers...Fast forward to “Animal Farm.”
which, if there is a fixed dollar amount for raises, would mean smaller raises for all of the teachers so Crow can crow she and other music teachers are special.
Of course, parent union Illinois Education Association is a major reason there is a strike in Huntley.
The IEA's real target is Crystal Lake Elementary District 47.
You see, there are only two school districts around these parts which are not paying both the district share of TRS pension contributions for their teachers, but also that part state law requires teachers to pay themselves.
The IEA wants to dig into Crystal Lake's coffers in their next contract.
When Huntley caves, the union will be able to tell Crystal Lake they are the only hold out on paying the teacher portion of their pension payment.
When I was state representative, I had to pay 11.5% of my salary, since I wanted my wife to have a survivor annuity. Single folks could pay 9.5%. (If I haven't personally thanked you for my generous pension, let me take this opportunity to do so. It allows me the time to write McHenry County Blog.)
Those were after-tax dollars.
Those are the kind of dollars that people use to pay their share of Social Security.
People in the private sector might ask their employers if they would, pretty please, pay their employee share of Social Security as well as the employer’s share.
That's essentially the goal of the state union for all teachers.
But back to the implications for Crystal Lake.
Huntley is the treasurer chest of tax dollars that the IEA needs to step on and crush like an empty juice box.
Who cares if taxpayers have to pass another 55-cent tax hike to fill it back up?This is the “fair” part that is on the IEA signs. It’s “fair” to trample on any taxpayers who get in the union’s way.
The second IEA big push item is holding out for guaranteed automatic 6% raises for last four years of salary for any teacher who might retire. That's in order to increase the final pension base by 26¼%.
Bet your private sector employer would agree with that in a heartbeat.
At a meeting I attended, only two teachers were introduced as retiring, so it's not big money now. But in future years...
The IEA wants to put a Huntley School District scalp on its belt.
They want to add Huntley to the list of districts that caved on this, so they can go hammer other districts for this concession.
This is one of the IEA “pattern” concessions that the union is methodically going after throughout the State.
But is it a good reason for the Huntley teachers to be on strike?
If having teacher unions be able to strike throughout the United States is the “Change That’s Needed” by Obama, Huntley's experience should be closely watched.
Turning down a 17.8% salary increase over three years and striking could be pointed to by the John McCain campaign as the exclamation point showing how Obama has failed to lead in Illinois. I wonder if any Democrats are embarrassed--even a tiny bit--by what is going on in Huntley.
All photos may be enlarged by clicking on them.
Labels: Crystal Lake Grade School District 47, Huntley Education Association, Huntley School District 158, IEA, Teacher Contract, Teacher Negotiations, Teacher Salaries, Teacher Strike
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Huntley Education Association Middle School Teacher Trashes School Board
Huntley middle school teacher Mark Stahl, the lead negotiator for the teachers' union, made a presentation to the union membership on Tuesday afternoon.The “presentation,” dripping with sarcasm and bashing the Huntley School Board, which apparently the union no longer controls, gave the meeting the aura of a pep rally a Homecoming.
I can still remember Crystal Lake Community High School's pep rally in preparation of a football game with the Woodstock Blue Streaks. Nothing good was said about the Blue Streaks. (Ironic that Woodstock's teachers' salaries were never used by union negotiators. See
The rally's “bashees,” the elected guys and gals who, on behalf of the taxpayers, made a “last, best and final offer” of a 5.43% raise, plus dropping the work year from 183 to 182 days to the mainly non-resident teachers (other details at the link).
As someone getting a public pension with a 3% annual cost of living increase, I'm envious (but still grateful).
And, yes, I know, most readers are envious of my and other retired public employees' (including retired teachers') annual 3% cost of living raise on July 1st of every year.
(Hint, if you want to change that for future public employees, the state constitution needs to be changed. If you vote to call a constitutional convention this fall, that issue could be on the table.)
With as good an offer as was made, it is no wonder Huntley Education Association (that is, union) leaders wouldn't allow teachers to meet directly with the board.
No wonder the union got a “No” vote from its members.
“Overwhelming,” they told newspaper reporters.
Now, the union leadership can officially say they did not recommend against the Huntley School District 158's final offer.
They just ridiculed it.
They raised great expectations for a sizable salary increase beyond what the board offered.
Yeah, right.
Looks like we're in for a long strike.
We'll see how what is apparently a new school board majority reacts to such a threat.
Of course, the walk out will occur several weeks after the teachers go back to work.
The Illinois Education Association union needs time to prepared for the confrontation, to get the parents used to sending their children to school.
Without a contract, I wonder if the school board will pay them at last year's pay scale.
Or will it do what California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger did when his state legislature would not pass a budget—pay them minimum wage?
You don''t have to be a union leader genius to know that the Huntley School Board will not cave in the next three weeks.
Nobody likes to be blackmailed.
If you are a parent, I wouldn't cut your ties to whomever is tending to your kids this summer.
And, remember.
The best weather of the year is often while schools are starting...way too soon, in my opinion.
Posted first on McHenry County Blog.
Labels: Huntley Education Association, Huntley School District 158, IEA, Illinois Education Association, Mark Stahl
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Huntley Teachers Want ALL Those Tax Dollars
If a school district has a surplus of tax dollars, it belongs to the teachers.
At least that is what I would assume from reading what the Daily Herald’s Jameel Naqvi reported was said by Huntley school teachers’ union spokesman Britt Crowe.
Here’s Crowe’s statement:
“Where did that come from?” my 11-year old asks as the song plays.
“Get rid of that.”
For better or worse, too many government decisions are based on “feelings,” rather than logic.
Spending down the Huntley School District 158 balance to the point where another 55-cent tax increase will seem necessary is not logical.
Regardless of what the Huntley Education Association’s hired IEA gun says.
At least that is what I would assume from reading what the Daily Herald’s Jameel Naqvi reported was said by Huntley school teachers’ union spokesman Britt Crowe.
Here’s Crowe’s statement:
"The district is running up surpluses in their budget. We feel that that's because they're not paying us competitive salaries."Please play the refrain from “Feelings” at this point.
“Where did that come from?” my 11-year old asks as the song plays.
“Get rid of that.”
For better or worse, too many government decisions are based on “feelings,” rather than logic.
Spending down the Huntley School District 158 balance to the point where another 55-cent tax increase will seem necessary is not logical.
Regardless of what the Huntley Education Association’s hired IEA gun says.
Labels: Huntley Education Association, Huntley School District 158, IEA
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Politics and Union Dues
Here's an interesting comment from Jameson Campaigne which was posted under my Huntley School District 158 teacher union dues article on Illinois Review.
I thought you and area teachers might like to read it.
I thought you and area teachers might like to read it.
Cal -- As you well know, most of the NEA/IEA money goes to politics, not to representation on wages and working conditions issues.
When given a chance to opt out of paying for the politics portion of their dues (under the Beck decision of the Supreme Court and referenda passed in states like Washington), teachers opt out and union dues drop by about three quarters.
Keep in mind also that it is not just "teachers" who are paying these dues; it is also the vast administrative bureaucracies of most schools.
Defunding the NEA/IEA political-financial arm of the Democratic Party ought to be top priority of Republicans everywhere, since this is a civil rights issue (close to a majority of the nation's teachers -- not bureaucrats -- are Republicans whose dues money is spent on a party and candidates they oppose). The American Conservative Union has had some success in lawsuits against the NEA along these lines as well.
Labels: Ameriican Conservative Union, Beck Decision, Chicago Teachers' Union, Connie NEA, Huntley Education Association, Huntley School District 158, IEA, Illinois Education Association, Jameson Campaigne
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Belvidere School District 2nd Guessing
For those of you into bizarre school stuff with time to read a long article on a slow Sunday, you might want to read how the Belvidere School Board managed to select the most expensive alternative after narrowly losing a tax rate hike.
I wonder how all the people who have moved from McHenry County to Boone County for lower housing costs and property taxes are reacting.
And, by the way, Don Schlomann, the school superintendent who came up with the plan, is off to St. Charles.
And also in the "Did you know? file is
///Ken Swanson, president of the Illinois Education Association, is a former teacher in Belvidere.
I wonder how all the people who have moved from McHenry County to Boone County for lower housing costs and property taxes are reacting.
And, by the way, Don Schlomann, the school superintendent who came up with the plan, is off to St. Charles.
And also in the "Did you know? file is
///Ken Swanson, president of the Illinois Education Association, is a former teacher in Belvidere.
Labels: Belvidere School District, Boone County, Don Schlomann, IEA, Ken Swanson, St. Charles School District
Saturday, February 03, 2007
CLETA Has Over Three Grand
$3,245.43, to be exact.
And, for those of you who did not read Wednesday’s McHenry County Blog, CLETA stands for Crystal Lake Elementary Teachers Association.
Wednesday I passed on the information I received about CLETA’s being involved in the Crystal Lake District 47’s school board elections.
The teachers’ union has apparently endorse incumbent Dave Hubbard and challenger Nancy Gonsiorek. Both opposed changing the encore class schedule.
Two incumbents besides Hubbard are up for election—Lisa Koeppel and Jeff Larkin. Koeppel and Larkin voted for the administration recommendation to lengthen class periods for math and science.
Hubbard did not.
As a member of the Illinois Education Association (the name of the dominant statewide teachers' union), the $3,200 available is not indicative of the resources that could be brought to bear in this race.
The IEA is capable of transferring thousands on a moment’s notice.
At minimum expect signs for CLETA’s endorsed candidates to pop up on most of the yards that had the “No Changes Please” signs before last fall’s election.
And, for those of you who did not read Wednesday’s McHenry County Blog, CLETA stands for Crystal Lake Elementary Teachers Association.
Wednesday I passed on the information I received about CLETA’s being involved in the Crystal Lake District 47’s school board elections.
The teachers’ union has apparently endorse incumbent Dave Hubbard and challenger Nancy Gonsiorek. Both opposed changing the encore class schedule.
Two incumbents besides Hubbard are up for election—Lisa Koeppel and Jeff Larkin. Koeppel and Larkin voted for the administration recommendation to lengthen class periods for math and science.
Hubbard did not.
As a member of the Illinois Education Association (the name of the dominant statewide teachers' union), the $3,200 available is not indicative of the resources that could be brought to bear in this race.
The IEA is capable of transferring thousands on a moment’s notice.
At minimum expect signs for CLETA’s endorsed candidates to pop up on most of the yards that had the “No Changes Please” signs before last fall’s election.
Labels: CLETA, Crystal Lake, District 47, IEA
