Posted:
Friday, March 30, 2018
Average Teacher Salaries in Right-to-Work States vs. Fair Share States*
RTW States
|
Average Teacher
|
Fair Share States*
|
Average Teacher
|
|
Salary
(2015) |
|
Salary
(2015) |
Alabama
|
$47,949
|
Alaska
|
$65,468
|
Arizona
|
$49,885
|
California
|
$69,324
|
Arkansas
|
$46,631
|
Connecticut
|
$69,397
|
Florida
|
$46,598
|
Delaware
|
$59,679
|
Georgia
|
$52,880
|
District of
|
$70,906
|
Idaho
|
$49,734
|
Hawaii
|
$54,300
|
Indiana
|
$50,065
|
Illinois
|
$59,113
|
Iowa
|
$50,946
|
Maine
|
$48,430
|
Kansas
|
$47,464
|
Maryland
|
$64,248
|
Louisiana
|
$51,381
|
Massachusetts
|
$72,334
|
Michigan (since 2013)
|
$61,560
|
Minnesota
|
$56,268
|
Mississippi
|
$41,814
|
Montana
|
$48,855
|
Nebraska
|
$48,997
|
New Hampshire
|
$55,599
|
Nevada
|
$55,957
|
New Jersey
|
$68,797
|
North Carolina
|
$45,737
|
New Mexico
|
$45,453
|
North Dakota
|
$47,344
|
New York
|
$75,279
|
Oklahoma
|
$44,373
|
Ohio
|
$56,307
|
South Carolina
|
$48,375
|
Oregon
|
$57,612
|
South Dakota
|
$39,018
|
Pennsylvania
|
$62,994
|
Tennessee
|
$47,563
|
Rhode Island
|
$63,474
|
Texas
|
$48,819
|
Vermont
|
$52,526
|
Utah
|
$49,393
|
Washington
|
$52,234
|
Virginia
|
$48,670
|
|
|
Wisconsin
|
$53,797
|
|
|
Wyoming
|
$56,775
|
|
|
Average
|
$49,269
|
Average
|
$60,779
|
*Includes states in which Fair Share is mandated by law (e.g., NY) and those in which it is statutorily bargainable (e.g., NH). States not listed have no statutory provisions regarding Right-to-Work or Fair Share.
This chart speaks for itself. The average teacher in a Fair Share state earns about $11,500 (23%) more than the average teacher in a Right-to-Work state!
So, it's easy to understand why anti-worker, anti-union groups are fighting so hard to give all employees the "Right-to-Work." It's really the right to work FOR LESS!
In addition to pay, when a state becomes Right-to-Work, unions like BTA can lose the ability to bargain for anything other then pay. Just look at the contract that the Kenosha Education Association in Wisconsin had before and after Right-to-Work came to the state. They went from having a 86 page collective bargaining agreement that included pay, health and dental benefits, the days school would be open, what management could and could not do, and much more, to a one page contract that only covers the length of the contract and pay.
In addition to pay, when a state becomes Right-to-Work, unions like BTA can lose the ability to bargain for anything other then pay. Just look at the contract that the Kenosha Education Association in Wisconsin had before and after Right-to-Work came to the state. They went from having a 86 page collective bargaining agreement that included pay, health and dental benefits, the days school would be open, what management could and could not do, and much more, to a one page contract that only covers the length of the contract and pay.