School Year Just Begun, Teachers Strike Looms in Chicago

[AnneD]

25. How about this....

Instead of me going to the state and national legislatures and lobbying (done that), and instead of me writing letters to the editor pointing out something as trivial as the facts (done that) why don't you put your excellent typing skills to work in support of workers wanting what's right and fair. Envious of union wages, then do the work and organize instead of throwing stones from the sidelines. This divisiveness is just what union buster want. It is no coincidence that wages have dropped as union membership has declined. I know the cost of living has not gone down to match my actual wages.

You seemed to have missed a major point in the argument. I get retirement benefits because I will get no Social Security. And unless I missed something in your reply you will get social security. I have a 403 b that I alone contribute to....no matching. I contribute to the teachers retirement system and the state contributes, but they have no been fully funding it for some time now. They gave me a 2% cost of living raise and then charged me more for my insurance.....totally wiping out the raise and actually decreasing my take home pay.

And wages....I make 25-30% less by working in the schools rather than the private sector. And this has been over a 20 year period. I know this is an accurate number because I am a Nurse. There were many reason I chose school nursing over hospital nursing and I did supplemental work throughout the years. I came into the school system with enough quarters to qualify for Social Security that I will never get. I think the state got a good deal.