Within Stacy McCain’s post this on Wisconsin was a link to Stephen Hays that explained an awful lot:
What’s more, Wisconsin teachers pay as much as $1100 each year in compulsory union dues. If the legislation passes, they will no longer be required to pay those dues – returning that money to their own pockets.
The power of labor leaders and the democrats pols they support are based upon compulsorily dues. My wife had to pay them when the nurses were made part of the teachers union. (It didn’t protect her job). It pays for a lot of fun parties and a lot of dem votes but does very little for actual union members who aren’t connected.
This is why the fight is so bitter. Once the compulsion is removed from union dues then the game is up and these guys know it.
Moreover as Stacy points out in his Spectator column:
Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard points out that the average teacher in Wisconsin receives $77,857 in total compensation, when the value of their generous benefit package is added to their salaries. Given that the median household income in Wisconsin is just above $50,000 (and the typical household has more than one wage-earner), this means that the striking teachers are earning substantially more than the people whose taxes pay their salaries.
This is fight that even if they win is going to coin republican votes nationwide. I think the unions actually know this but knowing they can’t survive without forced dues have decided to die on this hill…
…and they will.
