McNett, Burmaster Testify Against Bill That Would Further Restrict Arbitration Award

The state's collective bargaining law - which already favors employers - would tilt even more against teachers and education support professionals under a bill now before the Legislature, WEAC Collective Bargaining Director Mike McNett testified Tuesday (December 20, 2005).

Mike McNett

Under AB 857, arbitrators would not be allowed to consider final offers that exceed the percentage increase in state-imposed school district revenue caps. McNett said the bill is not needed because state law already requires arbitrators to consider revenue caps when determining an award. He said the bill also takes away local control.

Because the Qualified Economic Offer law already limits teachers'' access to arbitration, the bill would primarily harm education support professionals such as school secretaries, paraeducators, custodians, bus drivers and cooks, McNett said.

"School support staff often earn wages that put them near or below the federal poverty level. Were AB 857 to become law, these essential school employees would not be able to take an offer to arbitration that would increase their total pay and benefit costs beyond the increase in the school revenue caps – approximately 2.3%," McNett told the Assembly Labor Committee. "This amount would be completely consumed by even a small increase in insurance costs."

In addition, he said, teachers forced into arbitration would be treated even more harshly than under the Qualified Economic Offer (QEO) law, limited by the percent increase in district revenue caps, versus 3.8% under the QEO law.

In written testimony, State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster said the bill "could further erode our ability to recruit, hire and retain quality teachers and support staff in our state's schools."

"Wisconsin has the highest percentage of qualified teachers, which has led to outstanding student performance," Burmaster testified. "Yet, Wisconsin teacher salaries have slipped below the national average. This is not sustainable, and I believe this bill is another blow to the teachers and other educators in our public schools, when salaries and fringe benefits have already been restricted under the Qualified Economic Offer law and revenue caps.

"To subject educators to even more restrictive criteria flies directly in the face of our need to encourage the best and brightest of our citizens to enter and stay in education," Burmaster said. "Simply put, Wisconsin's public school teachers and educators need our enhanced respect and support in these difficult financial times, not an additional restriction on their ability to earn and bargain fair compensation. I believe AB 857 would have a negative effect on our state's teachers and the labor-management relationship in our school districts."

Posted December 21, 2005