Ryan Bridge: Teachers deserve a pay rise

I can't see what the problem is with teachers getting a pay rise.

If that sounds weird, it's because it's the union complaining. 

The union that's always saying teachers are undervalued and underpaid doesn't want the pay rise. They're actually going to take legal action to try and stop it happening. 

It's upside down day today folks. 

The primary teachers' union is dragging out their collective bargaining (9 months and counting). So in the meantime, old mate Sir Brian Roche is offering non-union teachers employed on individual agreements up to an extra 4.7% within 12 months.

2.5% from 20 March plus 2.1% percent next year. That's, according to the Government, an extra $50-$76 a week per teacher. A third of primary teachers —about 10 thousand— aren't part of the union. 

Now the union doesn't like this because, they say, it's the Government trying to break their unity. 

But the reality is, they're not united. A third of them don't pay subs to the union so therefore can go down the individual route with school boards. 

Last time I checked, they were adults. It's the kids they're teaching. 

And the union members, by the way, can accept this offer too, but chose not to. 

To your average Kiwi, a union trying to stop non-union teachers from getting a pay rise during a cost of living crisis by bringing in their expensive lawyers looks messy, controlling, and unfair. 

Throw into the mix other teachers unions' demands for updates on the war in Gaza and the fact student achievement was in the bin, and they start look beyond out of touch with the rest of us. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I can't see what the problem is with teachers getting
a pay rise. Can you guess who does have a
problem with teachers getting a pay rise? A teachers union.
I know, how does that work. The union that's always
saying teachers are undervalued, they're underpaid, doesn't want to pay rise.
They're actually going to take legal action to try and
stop it from happening. It's upside down day today, folks.

(00:22):
It's back to front. This is the primary teacher union.
They've been dragging out collective bargaining nine months in counting now.
So in the meantime, Old Mates of Brian Roch is
offering non union teachers employed on individual agreements up to
an extra four point seven percent within twelve months. That's
two and a half percent from March, then two point
one percent next year. This is, according to the government,

(00:45):
an extra fifty to seventy six bucks a week in
your pocket for a teacher. A third of primary teachers
that's about ten thousand aren't part of the union. Now
the union doesn't like this because they say it's the
government trying to break their unity, but the reality is
they're not unified. A third of them don't pay subs

(01:07):
to the union so therefore can go down the individual
route with school boards. Last time I checked, they were adults.
It's the kids that they're teaching, remember, and the union members,
by the way, they can accept this off for two
but they choose not to. Well, the union chooses not to.
To your average KEI we a union trying to stop
non union teachers from getting a pay rise during a

(01:27):
cost of living crisis by bringing in their expensive lawyers
looks messy, controlling, and frankly a little unfair. Throw into
the mix you've got the other teacher unions demanding updates
on the war in Gaza and the fact that student
achievement was pretty much in the bin for many years,
and they start to look well beyond out of touch

(01:48):
with the rest of us, don't they. For more from
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