Budget Reform Blog
04-05-12
"The older surveys show more school districts increased class sizes, reduced extracurricular programs, raised student fees and tapped reserves to balance their budgets in each year between 2002 and 2008 than they did in 2011-12." -- More proof that It's Working Wisconsin
Read more at the Wisconsin State Journal
04-03-12
Almost 2,300 members of the Milwaukee teachers union voted against a proposal to contribute a week's worth of their pay - or 2.6% of their salary - to Milwaukee Public Schools to help reducing burgeoning class sizes, according to an email from the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association.
The notification from the MTEA late Monday night said that with a total of 3,931 members voting, 1,635 supported the MPS Children's Week measure and 2,296 voted against it.
Voting took place between March 28 and 30.
“Over the course of the last several weeks, I have spoken with...
04-03-12
[Madison, Wisc…] Even after the labor reforms ushered in by Act 10, Wisconsin taxpayers pay more than surrounding states to provide insurance to state employees, according to a new study released today.
The analysis by HCTrends found that even after increasing the state employee premium contribution and making plan changes to reduce costs, Wisconsin taxpayers also continue to pay significantly more to provide these benefits than most private‐sector employers in the greater Milwaukee area.
The study did find that increasing state employee premium contributions and out‐...
03-20-12
Concessions made by union members will save Waukesha School District $600,000 on current contract that expires in 2013. The district, in return, agreed to save positions.
Waukesha School District and employees in the Local 2485 (union) approved an agreement that the employees will contribute four percent of their wage toward the employee share of the Wisconsin Retirement System effective July 1, 2012.
Local 2485 employees include custodian/maintenance, clerical and assistant staff such as instructional and special education aides. The union also agreed to reduce long...
