I'm probably wrong...but to me the purpose of a Union is to prevent workers from being abused by poor working conditions or unreasonably low compensation. It allows them to band together in one voice which gives them some negotiating weight with employers.

Now I'm a teacher with 26 years experience.......I have a bachelor's degree, master's degree (working on a second), two teaching credentials (working on a third) and a CLAD credential and I make about the same wages as the lady that puts seat belts and cups in the Toyotas. I do have health care and a retirement pension. But still...I have to wonder why I'm spending thousands of dollars of my own money and hundreds of hours of my own time to add degrees and credentials when I can just put seat belts and cup holders in cars all day. (And my day would end after 8 hours...no taking work home to grade or write lesson plans.) Since the compensation is the same....I guess that's what my job is "worth" in America.

Bullseye! Remember that as a manufacturing employee they work more than 7-8 months/year. If you are in it for the money then I would say you made a mistake 26 years ago by becoming a teacher.

its long been known that America treats basic education as a necessary evil. we pay for it grudgingly only because its law. on average, 62% of levies aimed at increasing funding for education fail. if a teacher's salary was funded the same way, you would be a unpaid volunteer worker.

I have several relatives in the WA public school system... teachers are NOT paid what they are worth.

Dave, what program do you use to keep your mileage records?

I work more than 7-8 months a year. I don't understand why this Urban Legend persists. My contract year is 184 business days. You can call the other days "paid vacations" but most teachers use it to take additional classes at their own expense.

I work a little over 10 months a year and don't get overtime for the extra hours I put in each week (50-60 hours), nor am I compensated for supplies I need to purchase out of my own pocket.

But the point I was making it that apparently all of my extra education and job skills equate to a factory worker and the "worth" of what I do must be equal to putting seat belts in cars since I am compensated equally.

i just use a excel 97 worksheet

zapranoth and Dave, that side discussion belongs in a PM</span>