Governing Side Allows The Gouging
The ultimate goal is LABOR PEACE. Thus, the governing bodies, whether Central government or school boards, capitulate to heavy-handed bargaining ploys. The bargaining ploys are international tricks-of-the trade. Whipsawing is one of the strategies. If one teacher union in X county achieves a benefit through collective bargaining, others will soon use that fact as a catch-up issue.
Since these sessions are not transparent and held behind closed doors, rent-seeking is also a ploy. This insider trading leads to sweetheart deals.
Add on the fact that union dues are 100% tax deductible and we can easily see that a teacher union confers huge costs on the public purse.
Peace is extracted because the government side fears public disruption.
The best books on this topic of economic costs and lost opportunities for education reform for our children are by Myron Lieberman and while the information applies to American systems the international scope is relevant to our Canadian scenes. Google — Released-Time Subsidies — and you will get 7 instructive pages on this issue highlighted by the G&M article above.
[ Posted in G&M article http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/tdsb-osstf-fight-over-subsidies-for-union-staff-member-salaries/article29283670/ ]