As of the last contract offer (last night). The union was offered a 3% raise for the next year and 2% for the next two. The fourth year is an “option” year, whatever that means.
Private sector wages are determined in a different manner in any case.
However bad conditions are for recent college graduates, it does not change the fact that college graduates make more ON AVERAGE than those without degrees. So it is not appropriate to compare average incomes with the general population’s average income.
I guess I just do not understand your reasoning. You keep citing that a college graduate should make more money and can’t be compared to private sector wages. And all I am pointing out is teachers do not work 3 months in the summer, weekends, bank holidays, or spring break. And I know people with perfectly fine degrees that are working at Home Depot (and the UPS store) and are happy to have jobs. Teachers walking out of the classroom to strong-arm taxpayers to fork over more of their dwindling paychecks, while demanding they not be accountable for actually teaching anything to me is still unseemly. But its ok that we disagree! My mother taught middle school science for 31 years (15 in a private school and 16 in public) and I know all I need to know about teacher’s unions. :p