Wisc. teachers retire over collective bargaining changes

reply to post by neo96


Sounds like your jealous, maybe you should have went to college for 4-6 years then you could be a teacher and make the big bucks. Instead of pissing and moaning because people have bettered themselves.

Originally posted by SaturnFX

Originally posted by desert
I say, Saturn, this does feel good to spew words!

Doesn't it.

Here I was like a sucker for soo long using intelligence in my post

Wich posts were those i missed them somehow?

Originally posted by lokdog

Originally posted by SaturnFX

Originally posted by desert
I say, Saturn, this does feel good to spew words!

Doesn't it.
Here I was like a sucker for soo long using intelligence in my post

Wich posts were those i missed them somehow?

Looks like you missed the sarcastic nature of his remarks, too. (as did I, initially...are you being sarcastic, as well...Jeez...I feel like Sheldon! )

Originally posted by Rockdisjoint
It looks like America will never return to the greatness it once was, the demoralization runs too deep.

In order to start and keep going a war, it is best to dehumanize your enemy. Portray your adversary in a not so favorable light, at best, to outright equating them with something other than human. Ants to be fired at from an aircraft high above, for ex.

For three decades, the war on the American worker has allowed the nation's wealth gained from globalization to be concentrated at the top. As corporations sought to take over, not just supplying paper and paperclips to govt offices, but actual deliverance of what was considered govt function/public good, it is as if war was declared. Teachers became "bad", with students "dumb". Extreme right reactionaries were given a megaphone to warn of public schools turning students into Communists and promoting sexual perversions.

Teachers, as well as firefighters, police, etc, are now "thugs". Govt workers lazy, greedy.

Those people who claim to love and support their country have too many times been the very people who have gleefully promoted this national demoralization. Dehumanize and demoralize your fellow citizens, your enemy. Pres Carter may have been accused of promoting a "national malaise", but this "national demoralization" leaves us lesser than what we could be.

I'm on the verge of retirement.

If there was something going on about my workplace that could potentially affect my retirement in a negative way, I'd retire.

Once you have the documents in hand, they have agreed to pay you a certain amount of money. It would be very difficult for the government to change the benefits to the workers who have already retired.

They can however change the system for those who have not yet retired.

Where I work, if you are hired now, to be fully vested you need to reach the calendar age of 65. For me, calendar age of 60 applies. That's the type of change that could encourage people who are of retirement age to retire.

It's not a conspiracy, it's a math issue.

Originally posted by Wildbob77
I'm on the verge of retirement.
If there was something going on about my workplace that could potentially affect my retirement in a negative way, I'd retire.

Would it be wrong to suggest that in losing the older segment of the cohort, the system might also be losing its best and most experienced teachers? Or is everybody burnt out and disgusted by then? I'd value your response.

reply to post by Wildbob77


Good points! Yes, a math issue.

At the same time, however, I wonder how many of those retiring teachers would have continued in their chosen profession if it were not for the demeaning and demoralization of that profession. Or if working conditions would have unilaterally changed to where they would take a de facto 20% pay cut by having the workload increased by 20%?

We have to remember, that corporations have shrunk product sizes yet kept prices the same, a de facto price increase. The American worker has had that happen also, no increase in wages but an increase in workload/number of jobs/negative working conditions, a de facto pay cut. American worker productivity continued to grow as wages were stagnant.

Truly it has been a race to the bottom for most Americans, except those at the top. I guess we can now turn around and read the banner, Mission (Almost) Accomplished in the Class War.

reply to post by JohnnyCanuck


I would agree with that.

Where I work, there are a lot of people who are nearing retirement. When I was hired, this was a great place to work. We had good pay, great medical and retirement. That's what kept me here.

Now, we offer low pay, decent healthcare and mediocre retirement. I notice that many of the younger employees get some experience here and then move on to somewhere that pays better.

Why stay if you can do better elsewhere?

If you lower the pay and benefit package to teachers, you'll lose many experience teachers. You also lose the ability of these teachers to mentor the newer teachers. The state may save some money but what is the real cost to the students?

I've got an idea. Stop wasting money away and problem solved. No nobody would ever think of doing that though. That would just be insane. Reward quality teachers not the collective. What a great idea. Oops union would NEVER go for that. Got to keep em all stringing along to get their monthly dues.