For a decade and a half, the state’s teachers union has been hammering away at Republican state lawmakers for failing to repeal the Qualified Economic Offer law (QEO), which essentially allowed school districts to grant a 3.8% increase in salary and benefits to teachers without going to arbitration.

In the state budget he submitted in February, Governor Jim Doyle proposed repealing the QEO.  Since Democrats hold both houses of the Legislature, it seemed to be a sure thing that they would go along with Doyle’s suggestion.

But then yesterday, a funny thing happened.  WEAC, the state’s largest teachers’ union, offered up a “compromise” plan to the Legislature instead of simply doing away with the QEO.

Your first question is probably obvious: “Exactly with whom are they compromising?”  They own the Wisconsin Legislature.  They can get whatever they want – why would they feel the need to “compromise” with anyone, seeing as the thing they have hated most for 15 years is a couple of votes from being history?  And who exactly represents the taxpayers in this “compromise?”

The “compromise” they offered essentially delays repeal of the QEO for one year.  So they’ve been ripping on Republicans for years for not eliminating the QEO, but then when it comes time to actually do it, they want to push it off for a year – when they have the votes to eliminate it immediately.  

Hmmmm….. (stroking chin)

What they’ve done is  put into writing what most others have realized over the years – the QEO is actually a pretty good deal, especially in a bad economy.  They have recognized that if you pull away the QEO now, they could end up with a lot less than a 3.8% pay and benefits increase.  In tough economic times, it’s a floor rather than a ceiling – ask any of the 128,000 private sector workers who have lost their jobs in Wisconsin in the past year if they’d settle for a guaranteed 3.8% increase.

Back in January, Doyle called for elimination of the QEO in his State of the State speech.  In covering that portion of the address, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters described the QEO by saying “teachers must get an annual increase of pay and benefits of at least 3.8% a year.”  I believe this is the first time I’ve ever seen the QEO characterized in that way in the media, rather than being cast as a cap on teacher pay.  Amazing how a bad economy starts to change individuals’ perspectives on pay issues.

This new bogus “compromise” exposes many of the arguments WEAC has used over the years in favor of scuttling the QEO as complete nonsense.  They have made all these high-minded appeals to the sanctity of collective bargaining and workers’ rights and how damaging it is to children to have teachers under salary caps – when in fact, they’re more than willing to throw those all out the window if it means more money for one year.  This isn’t about saving the kids or about collective bargaining – it’s all about getting the most money for their members in the short-term.  That’s why they feel the need to strike a “compromise” with themselves.

So taxpayers be warned – this isn’t a “compromise” at all.  It’s merely a stunt to make WEAC look more reasonable and squeeze you for more cash.  Of course, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee will likely give the public a full five minutes to debate this plan that was cooked up in a secret meeting last night.  Open and honest government – soak it in.

UPDATE:  Under the draft motion first posted by the MacIver Institute, WEAC’s “compromise” plan has been adopted.  Must have been tough negotiations.  I bet they worked hard to hammer out this compromise in order to save taxpayers from the horror of having to pay less in property taxes.