In the course of researching collective bargaining agreements, Policy Assistant Bronwyn Clarke discovered that Snohomish School District had agreed with the union to adopt a contract that lowers the wages of lower-paid teachers to increase the wages of the highest-paid teachers.
We met with some Freedom Foundation members and reporters in the Snohomish area, and presented a Policy Highlighter summarizing our findings to the school board at its Aug. 27 meeting. Four main findings about the current Snohomish union contract:
- The salary is regressive. It takes from the low paid teachers to give to the high paid.
- The salary is capricious. At best winners and losers are randomly selected. At worst, the union or the district is hand-picking winners and losers.
- The levy-funded wage bonus is also regressive. Lower-paid teachers get 30 percent and higher-paid teachers get 37 percent added to base pay.
- The levy-funded wage bonus is extraordinarily generous. Nearly $9 million and 40 percent of all levy funds are used to boost wages.
Listen to the brief testimony here
The Snohomish school board is currently in negotiations with the union, and we look forward to learning whether they continue their capricious revisions to the salary system. Snohomish School District residents who are concerned may email their school board. Their contact information is found here.
Hear the account of how Jami Lund and Bronwyn Clarke uncovered this extraordinary contract on the 8/29 Freedom Daily show.
Update:
Snohomish Tribune has reported on the findings here.
The Snohomish Times published our analysis here.
