Memo to Walker -- unlike teachers, NFL players DO get better pay for working more years

The governor tries to make a point on teacher pay, forgetting NFL players have a union that helps them get minimum salaries

While speaking with reporters in western Wisconsin this week, Gov. Scott Walker made some interesting comments on education, specifically on teacher pay.

Walker said that teachers, like NFL players, should be treated like free agents, and paid based on merit, not how long they’ve been teaching.

From the La Crosse Tribune (Emphasis in bold mine):

When asked whether he thought such incentive-driven salary programs would be a hindrance to allowing school districts to keep quality teachers, Walker compared teaching to being a player in the NFL.

“If the Green Bay Packers pay people to perform and if they perform well on their team, (the Packers) pay them to do that,” Walker said. “They don’t pay them for how many years they’ve been on the football team. They pay them whether or not they help (the Packers) win football games.”

Except that’s not true. The NFL does set a minimum wage for players based on the number of years they’ve played. Players in their fifth season, for example, are paid 64 percent more than what players in their rookie seasons earn, if we’re looking at minimum income levels.

It’s true that NFL players receive incomes based on their performances as well. But that isn’t the sole measure of how income is derived. Their seniority is taken into consideration also, thanks to the NFL Players Association.

If it’s good enough for the Green Bay Packers, it’s good enough for Walker...except when it comes to union-negotiated minimum wage seniority pay. The Packers have that; Wisconsin teachers, however, do not.

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