"Joseph Gwinn" wrote in message
...
Oh, To Be a Teacher in Wisconsin -- How can fringe benefits cost nearly
as much as a worker's salary? Answer: collective bargaining.

By ROBERT M. COSTRELL

The showdown in Wisconsin over fringe benefits for public employees
boils down to one number: 74.2. That's how many cents the public pays
Milwaukee public-school teachers and other employees for retirement and
health benefits for every dollar they receive in salary. The
corresponding rate for employees of private firms is 24.3 cents.


(Wall St propaganda snipped)

Like any good propaganda piece, this blatantly ignores the facts. First of
all, the reason people are protesting in Wisconsin is not about any
particular salary or benefit cuts. It is because the proposed law would
forever ban collective bargaining. In other words, union busting. The
goverment has near-monopoly power in hiring teachers, it makes sense that
teachers should have some power to counter balance that. If you want to be
a teacher, except for a very small market in private schools, you have to be
hired by the goverment.

Second, there is no reference or documentation given for that 74.2% number
which does not seem quite right. This other anti-union article (
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/...average-75-587
) says the benefits rate was 52% and the average salary was $49,580
(Costrell said it was $56,500) Who is right, or are both inflated?

You can see the raw data here and come up with you own figures. It is clear
that 74.2% number is bull****.
http://dpi.state.wi.us/lbstat/newasr.html