Chicago Teachers Set Strike Date - Page 3

AlphaFrog · #31 09-05-2012, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

This.

Not sure where you live, AF, but take $30k to NYC/Chicago/LA/etc. and see what it gets you. Particularly if we're talking 2 kids and a spouse. It gets you a cardboard box. Or massive credit card debt. One of those.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chitownxo

I'm sorry, Jess, you don't know what you're talking about. You may be able to live comfortably on this where you live. I know you've lived in Illinois before, but you don't now. You don't live in Cook County, I do, and after taxes and benefits, I'll make about 31,000.00 this year. My husband lost his job a while ago; he is able to make some money teaching on a per diem basis at one of the community colleges. I don't know what gas is where you live, but it's $4.23/gallon here. We try and fill up in Will County when possible, since it can be anywhere from .10 to .45 cheaper, depending on the day. My monthly train ticket runs $149.50. Driving downtown would be much more expensive. We have cable and internet, our mortgage is $1150 and our oldest is in preschool, which is running us about $290 a month. Do we have money left over? A bit, but it's hard. We cut coupons, follow sales, and get a lot of the kids' clothes at second hand stores. I don't know what's gonna happen if we have a major problem with our cars or an illness.

As for the CPS strike, I know several CPS teachers. They don't want to strike, but they feel they don't have a choice. They simply cannot be effective as things stand now.

The $23/hour came from the Michiganders talking about the auto industry. I'm not talking about living on $23 in Chicago - that's a completely different market than where that figure came from. There are two albeit related topics going on in this thread: Chicago teachers and UAW/unions. I was responding to the UAW part. Detroit is comparable to where I live near Charlotte, NC where you could live on $23/hour.

PM_Mama00 · #32 09-05-2012, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

The $23/hour came from the Michiganders talking about the auto industry. I'm not talking about living on $23 in Chicago - that's a completely different market than where that figure came from. There are two albeit related topics going on in this thread: Chicago teachers and UAW/unions. I was responding to the UAW part. Detroit is comparable to where I live near Charlotte, NC where you could live on $23/hour.

Sorry that was my fault lol

AGDee · #33 09-05-2012, 07:34 PM

And, honestly, I meant to say that it is tough to raise on a family on $14/hour. $23 is doable, but it's far from comfortable, especially with day care expenses, etc. The auto workers do make a crap ton more than that, in all honesty, because they get a lot of overtime. Back in the days of profit sharing checks, my next door neighbor got a profit sharing check equal to my full annual salary because it was based on how many hours they worked. He worked 12 hour days/7days a week. He didn't have much of a life though. I also know guys who are seriously messed up physically because of the physical intensity of line work. A lot of them can't do it when they get older and then they end up on disability younger than they should. Not to mention, it is mind numbing work. I think I'd go crazy doing that kind of work.

Rates of pay for various types of work, as a reflection of our social priorities, are really screwed up. I've always noted that we pay day care workers and nurses aides some of the lowest rates but they are the ones caring for our most precious gifts.. our children and our parents. It makes no sense to me.

PiKA2001 · #34 09-05-2012, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGDee

And, honestly, I meant to say that it is tough to raise on a family on $14/hour. $23 is doable, but it's far from comfortable, especially with day care expenses, etc. The auto workers do make a crap ton more than that, in all honesty, because they get a lot of overtime. Back in the days of profit sharing checks, my next door neighbor got a profit sharing check equal to my full annual salary because it was based on how many hours they worked. He worked 12 hour days/7days a week. He didn't have much of a life though. I also know guys who are seriously messed up physically because of the physical intensity of line work. A lot of them can't do it when they get older and then they end up on disability younger than they should. Not to mention, it is mind numbing work. I think I'd go crazy doing that kind of work.

Rates of pay for various types of work, as a reflection of our social priorities, are really screwed up. I've always noted that we pay day care workers and nurses aides some of the lowest rates but they are the ones caring for our most precious gifts.. our children and our parents. It makes no sense to me.

My friends dad was tool and die for Chrysler and made $90 an hour on Sundays..every Sunday.

AGDee · #35 09-05-2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

My friends dad was tool and die for Chrysler and made $90 an hour on Sundays..every Sunday.

Exactly... probably for 12 hours too. Triple time on Sunday. That's the extreme stuff.

PiKA2001 · #36 09-05-2012, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGDee

Exactly... probably for 12 hours too. Triple time on Sunday. That's the extreme stuff.

They would just eat pizza and watch football since no supervisors were there too. LOL. That was the "good ole days" of when the big 3 didn't mind losing a billion dollars a year. I'm sure that stuff doesn't happen anymore in todays auto industry.

PM_Mama00 · #37 09-05-2012, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

They would just eat pizza and watch football since no supervisors were there too. LOL. That was the "good ole days" of when the big 3 didn't mind losing a billion dollars a year. I'm sure that stuff doesn't happen anymore in todays auto industry.

Now they get tanked on lunch breaks and say "but the execs do it".

AGDee · #38 09-05-2012, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

They would just eat pizza and watch football since no supervisors were there too. LOL. That was the "good ole days" of when the big 3 didn't mind losing a billion dollars a year. I'm sure that stuff doesn't happen anymore in todays auto industry.

They do have quotas to meet on Sundays now, from what I hear. But if they manage to reach their quotas and have extra time left...

Quote:

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Now they get tanked on lunch breaks and say "but the execs do it".

I don't think that is tolerated now like it was before. And the execs can't get away with it anymore either.

*remembers the day when you could drink and smoke in your office*

PiKA2001 · #39 09-05-2012, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGDee

They do have quotas to meet on Sundays now, from what I hear. But if they manage to reach their quotas and have extra time left...

They should "clock out" and go home but at the end of the day it's not my money that's being spent.

Back to the original topic, I hope all goes well for the teachers but I'd watch out for Rahm " Never let a crises go to waste" Emanual. He seems like a sneaky one.

DeltaBetaBaby · #40 09-09-2012, 06:43 PM

It's looking like there will be no 11th hour deal, so the strike is on. My friends who teach in Chicago are all crushed; nobody wants this a week into the school year.

lovespink88 · #41 09-10-2012, 12:12 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP_pDXBOSBI

DeltaBetaBaby · #42 09-10-2012, 12:23 AM

Rally is tomorrow at 3:30 at CPS headquarters, 125 S. Clark.

Also, for some perspective: One of the things at issue is CPS's insistence that student evaluations be part of calculating a teacher's pay raises. STUDENT EVALUATIONS. That is straight up the stupidest thing I've ever heard proposed by either side.

lovespink88 · #43 09-10-2012, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGDee

*remembers the day when you could drink and smoke in your office*

The drinking part still happens in advertising

OKAY, fine, not Mad Men style, lol but our fridge is always stocked with some kind of alcohol.

/derail

Sciencewoman · #44 09-10-2012, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Rally is tomorrow at 3:30 at CPS headquarters, 125 S. Clark.

Also, for some perspective: One of the things at issue is CPS's insistence that student evaluations be part of calculating a teacher's pay raises. STUDENT EVALUATIONS. That is straight up the stupidest thing I've ever heard proposed by either side.

I agree. How is a kindergartner supposed to evaluate a teacher, compared to a HS senior?? I don't see how you could ever make that equitable.

I've seen many colleagues' student evaluations as part of the college tenure process, and students do seek retribution on these when they didn't like their grade, thought the professor was too hard, etc. They offer good suggestions, too, but you do have to take these student evaluations with a grain of salt.

agzg · #45 09-10-2012, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Rally is tomorrow at 3:30 at CPS headquarters, 125 S. Clark.

Also, for some perspective: One of the things at issue is CPS's insistence that student evaluations be part of calculating a teacher's pay raises. STUDENT EVALUATIONS. That is straight up the stupidest thing I've ever heard proposed by either side.

These of all people should know that many things that work in the higher education sphere do not work in the primary and secondary education environments.