A message from MSEA President Paul Lemle
Where We Stand on Inequality
In the United States, CEO pay has risen by over 1,000% since 1978, compared to only 24% for the average worker. The US has an 18% poverty rate (even higher for kids), more than triple that of Denmark, Finland, and Hungary. We all pay a price for inequality. Our life expectancy is four years shorter than most European countries, twice as many babies die before their first birthday, and three times as many women die in childbirth or from pregnancy-related conditions. The solution to these problems is well known: reduce inequality.
When we win greater funding, programs, and opportunities for our students, that reduces inequality in significant ways. We work very hard to increase educator pay and reduce income inequality—according to NEA’s research (see pages 12-15), We have some of the highest educator pay in the US with the 6th best starting teacher salary, 7th best average teacher salary, and 11th best average support staff salary. Yet nationally educator pay has fallen about 5% since 2015 when adjusted for inflation.
Almost universally, new teachers earn half the pay of their long-serving colleagues—and quit at an alarming rate. What if negotiating teams demanded the elimination of the lowest steps on the scales and helped new educators earn more sooner?
Support professionals often earn half the pay of new teachers. What if we won a living wage for secretaries, instructional assistants, and maintenance teams?
We must negotiate higher percentage raises for our lowest paid jobs. Educators, students, and our entire society would be better off for our efforts to reduce inequalities.