The Union Teachers Pay Advantage

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 

 
Columbia  

$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.