There is a cost to state and local governments resulting from collective bargaining. This memo outlines a few of the examples of how collective bargaining increases the cost of government for taxpayers.

Union Opposes Cost-Saving Lawn Mowing Program

As a cost cutting measure, Racine County began using county inmates to cut the grass in medians and right-of-ways at no cost to the taxpayers. A county employee union filed a grievance indicating it was the right of government workers to cut the grass, even though it would cost the taxpayers dramatically more.

Source: Racine Journal Times, 5/12/10

After Hartland teachers agree, union blocks insurance switch

Teachers in the Hartland-Lakeside School District have agreed to switch health insurance providers to save the district $690,000, but the executive committee of a union that represents teachers at Arrowhead High feeder schools is blocking the change, officials say.

Faced with a $1.2 million reduction in state aid for the 2011-'12 school year, the School Board has been looking at ways to reduce costs and avoid program cuts and increases in class sizes, Superintendent Glenn W. Schilling said Tuesday.

The board determined it could achieve some saving by switching teachers' health insurance from WEA Trust, the nonprofit company started 40 years ago by the state's largest teachers union, to another provider when the contract expires June 30.

In the end, the board and teachers - after a series of joint meetings to study the issue - agreed to go with United Healthcare.

Teachers overwhelmingly supported the change, said Schilling and Ginny Henningsen, the former School Board president who has been serving as a liaison in negotiations with teachers since leaving the board in April.

The Arrowhead United Teachers Organization's executive committee rejected the switch on Monday.

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 5/24/11

WEA Trust

Currently many school districts participate in WEA trust because WEAC collectively bargains to get as many school districts across the state to participate in this union-run health insurance plan as possible. Union leadership benefits from members participating in this plan. If school districts enrolled in the state employee health plan, it would save school districts up to $68 million per year. Beyond that, if school districts had the flexibility to look for health insurance coverage outside of WEA Trust or the state plan, additional savings would likely be realized.

A Year's Worth of Pay for 30 Days of Work

Under the Green Bay School District's collectively bargained Emeritus Program, teaches can retire and receive a year's worth of salary for working only 30 days over a three year period. This is paid in addition to their already guaranteed pension and health care payouts.

At the average annual salary for a Green Bay teacher of $51,355, this amounts to a daily rate of pay of $1,711.83, or an hourly rate of $213.98. Since most retiring teachers receive higher than average salary, these amounts are, in practice, much higher.

Source: WLUK-TV, 3/3/11

Paid-Time off for Union Activities

In Milwaukee County alone, because the union collectively bargained for paid time off, fourteen employees receive salary and benefits for doing union business. Of the fourteen, three are on full-time release for union business. Milwaukee County spent over $170,000 in salary alone for these employees to only participate in union activities such as collective bargaining.

School district racks up $300,000 legal bill fighting teacher's porn-related firing

The Middleton-Cross Plains School Board has spent about $300,000 in the last year fighting a grievance filed on behalf of a teacher fired after an investigation found he viewed pornography at school.

Andrew Harris, a former seventh-grade science teacher at Glacier Creek Middle School, along with seven high school staff members and one administrator, were investigated and disciplined after the district discovered porn and other inappropriate adult content, including nudity and sexual jokes, in their email system during the fall of 2009.

"In these days in a shortage of cash we're loath to spend money on lawyers," said Ellen Lindgren,

president of the Middleton-Cross Plains School Board. "On the other hand, we believe the community supports the termination of a teacher who intentionally accesses pornography."

Union leaders say the case isn't about teachers viewing porn on a school computer — an action they agree is wrong. Rather, they argue the discipline for Harris and the others was unjust and not based on clear standards or objective criteria.

Source: Wisconsin State Journal, 5/22/11

No Volunteer Crossing Guards Allowed

A Wausau public employee union filed a grievance to prohibit a local volunteer from serving as a school crossing guard. The 86-year-old lives just two blocks away and serves everyday free of charge.

Principal Steve Miller says, "He said, you know, this gives me a reason to get up in the morning to come and help these kids in the neighborhood."

But for a local union that represents crossing guards, it isn't that simple. Representatives didn't want to go on camera but say if a crossing guard is needed, then one should be officially hired by the city.

Source: WAOW-TV, 1/27/10

'Outstanding First Year Teacher' Laid Off

Milwaukee Public Schools teacher Megan Sampson was laid off less than one week after being named Outstanding First Year Teacher by the Wisconsin Council of English Teachers. She lost her job because the collective bargaining agreement requires layoffs to be made based on seniority rather than merit.

Informed that her union had rejected a lower-cost health care plan, that still would have required zero contribution from teachers, Sampson said, "Given the opportunity, of course I would switch to a different plan to save my job, or the jobs of 10 other teachers.

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/14/10

The $150,000 Bus Driver

In 2009, the City of Madison's highest paid employee was a bus driver who earned $159,258, including $109,892 in overtime, guaranteed by a collective bargaining agreement. In total, seven City of Madison bus drivers made more than $100,000 per year in 2009.

"That's the (drivers') contract," said Transit and Parking Commission Chairman Gary Poulson.

Source: Wisconsin State Journal, 2/7/10

Audit Reveals Staggering Use of Overtime in State Government Collective Bargaining Agreements Added to Costs

In 2010, state employees worked nearly 1.9 million hours of overtime for which they were typically paid at 1.5 times their regular hourly rates, according to a report released today by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau.

The LAB found that premium overtime hours increased from 2009 to 2010, when they were approximately equivalent to 900 full-time staff positions.

Source: MacIver News Service, 5/19/11

Viagra for Teachers

The Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA) tried to use a policy established by collective bargaining to obtain health insurance coverage that specifically paid for Viagra. Cost to taxpayers is $786,000 a year.

Source: ABC News

$150,000 Correctional Officers

Correctional Officer collective bargaining agreements allow officers a practice known as "sick leave stacking." Officers can call in sick for a shift, receiving 8 hours of sick pay, and then are allowed to work the very next shift, earning time-and-a-half for overtime. This results in the officer receiving 2.5 times his or her rate of pay, while still only working 8 hours.

In part because of these practices, 13 correctional officers made more than $100,000 in 2009, despite earning base wages of less than $60,000 per year. The officers received an average of $66,000 in overtime pay for an average annual salary of more than $123,000 with the highest paid receiving $151,181.

Source: Department of Corrections

Arbitrator Reinstates Porn-Watching Teacher

A Cedarburg school teacher was reinstated by an arbitrator after being fired for viewing pornography on a school computer. The school district ultimately succeeded in terminating the teacher only after taking the case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court at great cost to the taxpayers.

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/23/08

Teachers Receiving Two Pensions

Due to a 1982 provision of their collective bargaining agreement, Milwaukee Public School teachers actually receive two pensions upon retirement instead of one. The contribution to the second pension is equal to 4.2% of a teacher's salary, with the school district making 100% of the contribution, just like they do for the first pension. This extra benefit costs taxpayers more than $16 million per year.

Source: February 17, 2010 Press Release, Process of developing FY11 budget begins Milwaukee Public Schools

$6,000 Extra for Carrying a Pager

Some state employees, due to the nature of their positions, are required to carry pagers during off-duty hours in order to respond to emergency situations. Due to the collective bargaining agreements, these employees are compensated an extra five hours of pay each week, whether they are paged or not.

For an employee earning an average salary of $50,000 per year, this requirement can cost more than $6,000 in additional compensation.

Source: 2008-09 Agreement between the State of Wisconsin and AFSCME Council 24