Thanks Malcolmk14 and Maritime Q-Scout for your clarifications.
The value of the "gold plated" benefits & pension is not irrelevant as taxpayers pay into that pot as well. If it was only the teachers paying into it, then sure, whatever works. But that pool of money is partially taxpayer funded and is a liability on the government's books. As such, it need to be taken into consideration for job remuneration - not just for teachers, but for everyone on a government payroll.
The overall package - salary, benefits, pensions, vacation time, - should be taken into account.
I think double-dipping after retirement is an issue. It shuts out younger teachers from jobs, depletes the pension pool (yes, by peanuts, I know.) and is bad optics (in my opinion). Yes, teachers should get their full pension - they earned it. Going back to teaching for less money (eg- $50k) because they already make $75-$100 in pension money (i.e. possibly undercutting other non-retirement teachers) is an issue.
If the annual dues are in the $1,500 range. Ok, I didn't know that. If they are more, and those unions have enormous pools of funds (at one point the ON elementary teachers pension fund could pay out full pensions to every teacher in ON for 5 years.) perhaps the union could show they are on board and lower those fees. As after tax money it could be worth it to teachers.
I think school boards are a waste of time and money. They have very little power - most of the negotiating is done at the Provincial level. The idea of "local flavour to the curriculum" is ok until the local school board decides to start banning Maus, Diary of Anne Frank, Are you there G-d, it's me Margaret, books presenting same-sex parents, etc....More trouble than they are worth. Put the $2-3m into front line education workers and move the bureaucracy to the ministry.
Yes, in a perfect world teachers at all grades would be paid CEO money. Some great teachers made a huge difference in my kids' lives and I let them know to this day when I see them.
However, in the real world a lot of people work hard for $50k, crappy benefits, and no pension, and question why kindergarten teachers (or gym teachers, or poetry teachers) make $100k+.
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