Barack Between a Rock and a Hardcore Teacher's Union

What's Barry to do? His overpaid, underperforming buddies in the Chicago public schools are pissed at his other buddy, Rahm Emanuel because he has a budget to balance and doesn't want to pay them overpaid teachers even more money:

By NBC Chicago and news services


Updated at 8:03 a.m. For the first time in 25 years, teachers in the country's third-largest public school system hit the picket line early Monday.

After a weekend of unsuccessful 11th hour contract negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union made good on its promise to walk out on more than 400,000 students at 675 schools.

We have failed to reach an agreement that will prevent a labor strike," Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said.

The strike follows more than a year of slow, contentious negotiations over salary, health benefits and job security after the school board unanimously voted last year to cancel teachers' 4 percent pay hike in the final year of their contract.

CPS went into full-on strike mode Monday, enacting a plan to keep 144 schools open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. And after a violent Chicago summer, police Supt. Garry McCarthy said he's "emptying our offices" to patrol the thousands of unsupervised kids on the streets.

"This is a difficult decision and one we hoped we could've avoided," Lewis said Sunday. "Throughout these negotiations, we've remained hopeful but determined. We must do things differently in this city if we are to provide students the education they so rightfully deserve."

Moments earlier, Chicago School Board President David Vitale said more than 20 offers had been made to teachers throughout the talks in hopes of preventing a strike.

Still, there was no deal.

This may be the one and only time I have ever agreed with Rahm Emanuel. (BTW, this Chicago mayor gig is really getting to this guy -- he looks like hell, which is saying something for a guy who isn't all that great looking in the first place.)

As usual, the lefty media -- in this case the Today Show -- isn't telling the whole story. "The strike follows more than a year of slow, contentious negotiations over salary, health benefits and job security after the school board unanimously voted last year to cancel teachers' 4 percent pay hike in the final year of their contract." is one way to put it. Here's a more accurate way:

"The strike follows more than a year in which the average Chicago teacher was paid $76,000 a year for nine month's worth of work to produce a graduation rate of 56%. The teachers are marching in Chicago streets in a rage for a four percent wage increase -- a good 1-1.5% MORE than what the average private-sector worker gets paid -- which would raise their average pay (bear in mind some get paid more) to around 80 grand a year (to say nothing of generous benefits) in state where the average family makes 47 grand a year -- roughly half or just a tad more. That's the average HOUSEHOLD income. The average household income in the U.S. as a whole is not even $50,000 and is down $4,000 since President Barry took office."

And above lies the accurate reporting the liberal media won't do. Poor teachers, raging in the streets for $80,000 a year! Boo frikin' hoo. And I bet they pay precious little for the generous benefits they recieve. How many of us would love to recieve 80 large for nine month's worth of work -- okay lets be generous and say ten months. Add 15% to that $80,000  and you have $92,000 if my math is correct. I've heard the argument that being a Chicago teacher is tough. If you don't like it, quit. Actually, these ingrates should just be fired. Obviously 44% (and more if you count the ones that barely squeak through school) aren't getting anything out of class anyway.

So what is Barack going to do? Diss one of his major campaign contributors -- a large teacher's union -- or his best buddy Rahm. What a predicament to be faced with less than two months from the presidential election.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!