For teachers’ union, pay gains not enough?

THE Republican-controlled Oklahoma House of Representatives did what many thought it might never do — pass tax increases — as a way to provide Oklahoma teachers with raises averaging $6,000. Unsurprisingly, this may still be unsuitable to the state’s largest teachers’ union.

The Oklahoma Education Association tweeted Monday night that a walkout next week would go forward as planned, because, “Our ask is still our ask.”

The OEA, which just six weeks ago was begging lawmakers to approve the Step Up Oklahoma plan that included $5,000 teacher pay raises, wants pay hikes of $6,000 this year, and $10,000 in three years, for all teachers. It also wants pay raises for support personnel and state workers, and additional $200 million for other common education uses, and revenue for state health care entities. The price tag is an additional $1.4 billion annually within three years.

Last week the union presented a funding “road map” that included, among other things, raising the gross production tax on oil and gas to 5 percent, from its current 2 percent; increasing the tobacco tax by $1.50 per pack; increasing the gas and diesel tax by 6 cents per gallon, and adding a tax of $5 per room to hotels and motels.

Legislation approved Monday night in the House included the GPT increase sought by the union, the hotel-motel tax, increases of 3 cents per gallon for gasoline and 6 cents for diesel, and a $1-per-pack increase on cigarettes. The vote was 79-19, exceeding the three-fourths majority required to approve tax increases in the Legislature.

The House plan would generate more than $600 million annually and provide pay raises for teachers, support personnel and state employees. House leaders said first-year teachers would get raises of $5,000, with raises from there based on experience. A teacher with 25 years’ experience and a doctorate would get an $8,300 raise.

State worker pay raises would start at $2,000 for those making less than $40,000 per year.

After the vote, House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Minority Leader Steve Kouplen, D-Beggs, who have spent most of the past several months trading barbs as various revenue plans have fallen through largely due to political gamesmanship, issued a joint news release praising the bipartisan nature of agreement.

Kouplen called it “a monumental step in providing a better path forward for both our schools and our state.” McCall acknowledged that this “is not a perfect plan, but … it is time to move Oklahoma forward.” He’s right on both points. The proposed tobacco tax increase isn’t as sizable as Oklahoma health officials would like. The proposed change in GPT — a 250 percent increase in the rate — is higher than the state’s energy industry wants to see it.

But the OEA seems to view getting everything it has “asked” for as the only acceptable result. Thus, a walkout remains on the schedule. If teachers stay away for long, this strategy will backfire with Oklahomans who broadly support them, appreciate their work and understand their frustration over pay, but will wonder why pay raises averaging $6,000 weren’t good enough.