The Refrigerator Repairman vs. the Sub

I'm a recently retired elementary school teacher who occasionally substitutes in my former district.  After thirty-eight years in the classroom I was making a comfortable salary thanks to my union.  I never really thought much about the courageous substitute teachers I met through the years.  For many of these professionals who had spent a fortune on their undergraduate education and even more attaining a Master's Degree, they were now relying on a salary of about $85.00 a day or roughly $12.00 an hour.  Now, I was one of them, but I had a comfortable pension to rely on thanks to my union.

In contrast to this scenario, my local appliance repairman charges about the same amount ---just to walk in the door!  Only to let me know that my refrigerator is shot and I need a new one.  I'm sure his training did not involve 5 years of college tuition.  After five minutes he makes more than teachers who spend seven hours in a school putting up with all kinds of torture that kids unfortunately inflict upon subs.  In fact, if subs work everyday at that rate, they will make a maximum of $15,300 annually before taxes. 

Why is there such a discrepency between the two?  It hit me like a lightning bolt.  Subs are not unionized and that is the pay scale for a non-unionized worker.  Elementary catholic school teachers do a little better as do private school teachers, but not much better. The one thing they all have in common is that they all spent a fortune on their education and they're all making a substandard salary because they are not unionized.

So to all those young people out there who think unions are a thing of the past and are no longer necessary, remember this little story.  Most people would like teachers to work for the simple joy of working with children.  They think it is a cushy job for glorified babysitters.  Anything a teacher makes is too much for most taxpayers.  If it wasn't for unions we would still be shoveling coal to heat our classrooms.  Unions have provided teachers with a living wage that allows many to continue their education in the summer. This enables them to stay current with best practices, improving their teaching skills, rather than having to cut lawns to supplement their income.  Wake up America!