Pegging salaries to inflation?

As unionists, we are never satisfied. We always push for innovative ways to improve the lives of our members. That is why Unity caucus is fighting to improve pattern bargaining.

Michael Sill is the Assistant Secretary of the United Federation of Teachers

ARISE and ABC don’t agree on much. At one point, it appears, they were headed toward running a joint slate of candidates in this year’s UFT elections. ARISE appears to have been too committed to their radical principles to allow that to happen. ABC appears to have been too committed to their personal ambitions. Despite the desperation of an ABC supporter recently saying, “We’ll run with anyone,” ARISE responded, to paraphrase, “We actually won’t run with just anyone. In fact, we won’t run with you.”

One thing they do agree on, according to their campaign literature, is that UFT members should receive raises that outpace inflation. Who could disagree with that? Everyone wants raises that outpace inflation. Thanks to the leadership of Unity caucus, that is exactly what we have.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation in 2022 was a whopping 8%. That rate was more than double any annual rate of inflation in the last 25 years (with the exception of 2021, when it was 4.7). This jump was caused largely by the federal money that was pumped into society during the pandemic, including school budgets, in an effort to save society.

Anyway.

We happened to be involved in contract negotiations during that time. ABC didn’t exist back then (two whole years ago). Their new leader was quite vocal back then about why pegging our raises to inflation was a bad idea. ARISE was still known as MORE. All UFT members were invited to participate on the negotiating committee. Over 500 UFT members, representing all of our current internal caucuses, joined. Inflation was on everyone’s mind. Some members who would eventually align themselves with one or the other of those caucuses/slates/groups realized that inflation was a popular topic. I suppose they used their social media metrics.

“We should have raises pegged to inflation”, they said. That sounds great, and was certainly something worth fighting for—in 2022. Funny, neither ARISE nor ABC ever says anything about how such a practice would impact our salary schedule in the long term. Surely people in those caucuses must have looked at what the impact of such a change would mean for the members they seek to represent. But they don’t mention it.

There is a good reason for that. By the end of this contract, the top UFT teacher salary will be $151,236, more than double the top salary in 2000. According to the Congressional Budget Office projections, annual UFT raises will have outpaced inflation in 18 out of 27 years. In fact, if our raises were pegged to inflation since 2000, teacher top salary at the end of this contract would be $132,427, almost $19,000 less than $151,236.

The chart below tells the story:

*future year projections are based on the Congressional Budget Office

Real leadership means making the right decisions for UFT members now and in the future. Real leadership does not mean grabbing splashy blog headlines to score political points.

As unionists, we should never be satisfied. We must always push for innovative ways to improve the lives of our members. That is why Unity caucus is trying to improve pattern bargaining to better serve our members. The Paraprofessional Respect Check bill is a part of that process.

But the idea of pegging our salaries to the rate of inflation would only increase opposition clicks, not UFT member salaries.