Link
to controversial article on northjersey.com:
Article: “Teachers
are asking for a 2.75 percent increase, reductions in the teachers'
contributions to health benefits and a change in the salary step
guide.”
Truth: All those demands would go well beyond a
2.75% increase. There are state imposed
caps that are being completely disregarded in the conversation. Health premiums went up double digits this
year and the Lodi taxpayers are absorbing it.
Truth: Employees pay different percentages based on their salaries. Maybe the highest earners are paying 35% of their insurance costs. Others are paying less. That blanket statement cannot be applied to all.
Article: "Teachers are currently paying for 35% of their insurance costs."
Article: “The median teacher salary decreased by
$1,592 from last year. According to the New Jersey Department of Education,
Lodi's median teacher salary in 2016 was $57,216 and this year the average is
$55,624. The state average for teacher's salary this year is $66,184.”
Truth: There is a big difference between “median”
and “average”. The average salary in Lodi is well above
$55,624. Allyson Pontier
should have stated Lodi’s TRUE average. You
can’t compare a median salary to the
state average. Lodi's average salary is a lot higher than it's median salary. You have to compare apples to apples. Looking at our budgets, Lodi’s average salary
is likely above the state average.
Article: “The current frozen salary guide is at 15
steps, with a teacher moving two steps every three years. The most recent
proposal by the BOE was to increase the salary guide five more steps, but it
was voted down by the union.”
Truth: The contract that expired last year increased the
base salaries of the Association by 2.4% each year. The teachers only moved two steps in three years
because of the step guide they chose.
They chose how the 2.4% increase was distributed among its members.
The contract voted down by the union did not increase the guide five more steps. If Allyson Pontier wants to reference that contract, she should provide Ms. Cataffi with a copy of it.
The contract voted down by the union did not increase the guide five more steps. If Allyson Pontier wants to reference that contract, she should provide Ms. Cataffi with a copy of it.
Article: “Lodi teachers are asking below the
average county salary increase of 2.84 percent, said Lodi Education Association
President Allyson Pontier. She said Lodi's minimum salary with a
bachelor's degree is $42,533, which is ranked 475 out of 480 across the state.”
Truth: At the time the union voted down its
contract, the average county increase was below 2.84%. Allyson
Pontier should disclose the percentage increases that the union voted down. That seem like
a big omission from this article.
Lodi’s tax rate is one of the highest in Bergen County and Lodi’s median household income in one of the lowest. Is it fair for Allyson Pontier to compare Lodi to Ridgewood, Tenafly, and Mahwah? That is what she is doing.
Lodi’s starting salary is on the low side. The contract voted down by the union would
have increased starting salaries by eliminating the bottom steps. The top heavy union leaders didn’t seem to
make starting salaries a priority then.
But they use it as a selling point now.
Article: "We're really looking to make a fair
wage comparable to counter parts in other areas," Pontier said. "The
chapter 78 health benefits contributions, that's really killing everyone. For
some teachers, that's $10,000 in insurance costs spread out across 10 months.
That's a lot of money coming out every month."
Truth: Allyson Pontier should present a specific example of a teacher paying $10,000 for insurance costs (teacher salary, insurance costs, etc). The numbers I saw showed
that an employee making $171,684 salary would contribute $8,724 to insurance
costs. The less you make, the less you
contribute.
The state legislature passed “Chapter 78” and the
governor signed it into law. The Lodi
taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook every time the union does not approve of
laws passed in Trenton.
Another omission from the article: longevity pay is a lot higher in Lodi and a large number of teachers have salaries topping $100,000 when that is included.
All figures and stats listed in the article should be cited. Where did they come from? Why was the article one sided?
All figures and stats listed in the article should be cited. Where did they come from? Why was the article one sided?
