The Illinois Policy Institute has an excellent explanation of how teacher salaries increase over time. One way to reduce future pension costs is to stop giving large raises.
http://www.illinoispolicy.org/how-teachers-salary-schedules-make-pay-increases-misleading/
The majority of taxpayers don’t understand this system. I partially hold the media accountable for misrepresenting the facts – or actually not reporting all the facts – when there is a teachers contract dispute. They only focus on the COLA raise and fail to inform the taxpayers of the other 1 or 2 or 3 raises the teacher will also receive in addition to the COLA. The third raise is the 5% or 6% retirement bump. This is such a scam that is so entrenched in the system that until the taxpayers are better informed and rise up angry nothing will change. I am waiting for all the screaming from the teachers’ unions if Rauner is successful in freezing property taxes.
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