Quote:
Originally Posted by whatnext
Teachers asking for a 15% wage increase over three years is ludicrous. Most taxpayers, who pay teachers salaries, haven't seen those annual increases with those kind of percentages in years.
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It's a bargaining tactic. Government will offer them less but compromise by saying they're keeping the class size the same.
Bargaining 101. You ask for double the difference between the offer and what you want.
If they offer 5%, you ask for 15% and 10% seems fair for both sides. Other party gives you 15% and both aren't happy as the receiving party wonders if they could have received more.
Most humans naturally want to meet in the middle.
As for seniority teachers getting paid higher. Of course they should get paid more. There are subtle aspects of teaching that are learned over time. If it's an issue, you can make requirements that teachers take workshops to maintain pay increases. I don't know the system now, but I'm pretty sure they do this anyhow.
Also, loyalty as a long-term teacher also has value.
Note, I don't know how big this divide is, but it's common in MOST industries to pay the worker with more seniority a higher wage. You're rewarding years of service, loyalty and collected experience. Sure, it doesn't mean a new teacher isn't a better teacher, it just puts them all on a level playing field. You risk running a slippery slope if you start to compensate on how "good a teacher" a person is. What do you rate such a subjective thing on?