Study Destroys Teacher Union Officials’ Myth

Augustina S. Paglayan debunks teacher union officials’ myth that monopoly bargaining guarantees higher salaries for teachers.  That is also teacher union officials’ greatest wish, as that is also their biggest piece of propaganda, that they procure higher salaries and benefits with their monopoly power.  The story is in the Washington Post.

Some observers believe weak labor rights are why teachers in these states are among the lowest-paid. These states don’t require local school districts to bargain collectively with teacher unions — and weaker labor rights leave teachers worse off. If only these states mandated bargaining with the unions, this argument goes, teacher salaries would be higher and there would be fewer reasons to strike.

But that’s a myth. My new research shows collective bargaining rarely leads to higher teacher salaries and more education spending. Teachers in red states are striking because of their low pay — but that is not because their labor rights are weak. The problem is they teach in states that have historically spent little on education.