QEO may stay, for now
MADISON — A 16-year-old state law affecting teacher pay increases would remain in place for only one more year under the budget being finalized by a legislative committee.
Gov. Jim Doyle and the state’s biggest teachers union have long advocated for doing away with the so-called qualified economic offer, or QEO. But Republicans in control in the Legislature have blocked it.
The law allows school boards to avoid arbitration in bargaining teacher contracts if the board imposes a 3.8 percent increase in salary and benefits combined. Teachers have argued that the law has kept their pay increases below the rate of inflation because benefits costs have eaten up most of the increase.
This year Democrats are in power, and Doyle again proposes doing away with the QEO. Republicans and other supporters say it is needed to keep property taxes in check.
Under the budget being voted on Thursday by the Joint Finance Committee, the law would be repealed effective July 1, 2010.
May 28, 2009 at 11:49 p.m.
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Funny, I'll bet that QEO guaranteed 3.8% doesn't look so bad to the teacher's union when other folks are not only not getting raises but having to give back raises. Maybe they're understanding how the rest of us working class folks wish we were "subjected" to a 3.8% increase.
May 28, 2009 at 10:19 p.m.
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