It is more than that...the union was the health insurer for the teachers...so when they raised the cost each year, the school districts had to pony up more money. Now, where did this money end up...in the hands of the dem politicians. This was incestuous beyond belief. Now that the districts can go out and compete the cost of health care programs for the teachers, their costs have gone down markedly.
I remember and article that the unions changed their tune when faced with competitive bids for health insurance. “Oh yeah, we can match that low bid”.