Since the beginning of the national recession in December 2007, Michigan's private sector has lost 70 times more jobs than its government sector.

Specifically, there are now 388,100 fewer Michigan's private sector payroll jobs as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while government payrolls (which include federal, state, municipal and school employees) are down by just 5,400 jobs.

Of course the private sector provides many more jobs than the public sector, but even on a percentage basis the magnitude of the discrepancy is startling: Private-sector employment in Michigan fell by 11 percent, while there are just 1 percent fewer government workers than before the recession.

At the state government level there are actually more employees, the increase mostly driven by larger state university payrolls. But there has also been some growth in the state bureaucracy. According to state workforce reports, the number of state "classified" jobs (civil servants, mostly unionized) has actually risen 3.4 percent since the beginning of the recession. There may be some seasonality in these figures, but even comparing December 2007 to December 2009 shows a slight increase.

Thankfully, in the most recent year Michigan's private sector rebounded slightly. Private payrolls went up 0.7 percent while government employment fell 0.3 percent, even with an increase of temporary Census workers in recent months.

In sum, while the public sector escaped mostly unharmed, employment in Michigan's private sector has experienced a loss similar to donating blood. In comparison, the public sector nicked its knee.

About 75 percent of the Wayne-Westland Community School's $111 million budget goes towards paying employees covered by its current collective bargaining agreement for teachers and a few other employee groups. (The budget figure does not include debt service payments on past construction projects.) Wayne-Westland Community Schools enrolls about 13,100 students and employs approximately 830 teachers.

Teacher salaries are determined by a single salary schedule that grants automatic pay raises based solely on an employee's years on the job plus additional pedagogy credentials. Teachers are granted "tenure" after 4 years on the job, and once tenured are evaluated once every three years, but neither these evaluations nor the performance of their students affect how much they are paid.

Wayne-Westland teachers get automatic annual pay raises of 6 percent as they progress through the time-on-the-job "steps" of the salary schedule. All teachers, regardless of their position on the step schedule, receive a 1.5 percent annual pay increase as the entire salary schedule grows by that amount. The vast majority of teachers in the district receive a base salary between $52,540 and $79,688; the average amount was $62,582 in 2009.

The district pays between $13,079 and $16,635 annually for teacher health insurance plans. Most teachers contribute $40 a month to the cost of their health insurance premiums. The statewide average cost in the private sector for an employer-provided family plan is $11,300, with the employee picking up 22 percent of that amount. The district also provides life, long-term disability, vision and dental insurance at no cost to employees.

School employees are entitled to a lifetime pension when they retire, and also expect to receive lifetime post-retirement health benefits. Based on the state-run retirement system's formula, the lifetime pension for a Wayne-Westland teacher with 30 years experience and an average base salary of $79,688 (the final "step" on the salary schedule) would be $35,860. For most retirees, this amount increases by 3 percent every year. An employee may begin collecting a pension upon reaching age of 55, or younger if he or she has 30 years of employment in public schools.

The union contract also covers working hours and conditions. The contractual work year is 181 days long and each day is 6 hours and 20 minutes.  This adds up to 1,146 hours per year. The U.S. average is 1,792 hours.

Teachers are allotted 10 sick, 2 bereavement and 3 personal leave days each year and may accumulate these without limit.  Upon retiring from the district, each unused leave day is worth $30. The local union also gets a total of 110 leave days per year that it can give to teachers to conduct union business.

The union contract also includes bonus pay for additional duties. Being one of the 43 different department heads can net teachers anywhere from $1,421 to $3,909 per year. Acting as a "6th grade liason" pays an additional $3,198. Finally, teachers can earn extra cash by coaching or participating in other extracurricular activities, such as band, drama, yearbook, intramurals, student clubs and many others. Aside from coaching (which pays between $711 and $6,301), there are more than 80 different extracurricular positions available to teachers that pay between $711 and $5,293 annually.

The following is a fully detailed analysis of the current Wayne-Westland Community Schools union contract that covers teachers as well as a few other employee groups. The district employs about 830 teachers and enrolls 13,100 students. Of its $111 million operating budget, about 75 percent goes toward paying employees working under this contract.

Salary Schedule

• Base salaries are determined strictly by "steps," which use a matrix of years experience and graduate credit hours and degrees.
• There of 13 "steps" on the schedule, meaning teachers get automatic pay raises of between 6 and 7 percent for their first 13 years in the district.
• In addition to step increases, the entire salary schedule increases by 1.5 percent each year so every teacher gets a 1.5 percent raise automatically.
• 55 percent of teachers have graduate degrees and 77 percent have more than 5 years experience, meaning the majority of teachers' base salary is between $52,540 and $79,688.
• The Michigan Department of Education reported the average teacher salary in Wayne-Westland in 2008-09 was $62,582.

Fringe Benefits

• For the vast majority of teachers, the district paid between $13,079 and $16,635 annually in 2008-2009 per teacher for MESSA health insurance premiums.
• Most teachers contribute $40 per month to the cost of the premium, unless they "buy-up" to a higher priced health insurance plan.
• The average family premium for a medical plan in Michigan cost $11,300 in 2009, with employees contributing 22 percent ($2,500) of those costs.
• Most common health insurance plans:
• MESSA Super Care I ($16,635 annual premium): $100/$200 deductible, $10/$20 RX co-pay.
• MESSA Choices I ($13,079-$15,009 annual premiums): $200/$400 deductible, $10/$20 Rx co-pay and $10 office co-pay.
• The district also provides at no cost to teachers (regardless of what medical insurance plan they choose) a $50,000 life insurance policy, long-term disability, vision and dental insurance.
• Teachers choosing not to enroll in one of the district's health insurance plans are paid $60 per month.

Pension and Retirement Benefits

• Every teacher participates in the state-run Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System, a defined-benefit lifetime pension system
• Pension calculation: highest 3-year average compensation X 1.5 percent X years of service
• Retirement eligibility: 30 years of service at age 46 or 15 years of service at age 55
• Teacher contribution: 5.4 percent of salary
• After 55, subsidized medical, dental and vision insurance for life (employees never contribute more than 18 percent of premiums)
• Annual pension based on 30 years experience in Wayne-Westland with base salary of $79,688 (final M.A. step): $35,859.60 (this amount increases by 3 percent every year)

Bonus Pay for Additional Duties or Certification

• Certain vocational teachers get $400 annually
• Department heads:
  • 19 for high schools and middle schools: $3,198-$3,909
  • 9 for student services: $1,421-$2,843
  • 3 for Career/Technical Center: $2,843
  • 12 for "Instruction and Planning": $2,843
• 6th grade liaisons: $3,198
• $500 available for extra duties at each elementary school as determined by the "Site-based Decision-making Committee"
• Allocations for NCA-related activities:
  • Elementary buildings: $3,000
  • Middle schools: $4,000
  • High schools: $5,000
  • Alternative schools: $2,000
• Curriculum Council member: $30 per meeting (6-10 meetings per year))
• District provides a $27,500 fund for teachers to use for attending conferences
• Summer programs: 85% of daily pay rate plus two additional sick days (based on average teacher salary: $294 per day)

Work Schedule/Environment

• 181 contractual work days
• Work day: 6 hours, 20 minutes
• Teaching loads:
  • High school: 25 instructional hours per week, 5 preparation hours
  • Middle school: 1,625 instructional minutes per week
  • Elementary: Maximum of 27 hours of pupil contact time with 5 fifty-minute planning periods per week
• Guaranteed noninstructional days:
  • Elementary:
    • 5 half days for preparation and planning
    • 3 half days for records
    • 8 half days for professional development
  • Middle school:
    • 2 half days for preparation and planning
    • 7 half day for records
    • 8 half days for professional development
  • High school:
    • 2 half days for preparation and planning
    • 6 half days for record
    • 8 half days for professional development

• 30-minute duty free lunch
• Teachers traveling between 2 schools during lunch or preparation period will receive $711 annually. Another $711 can be gained if the teacher travels between 3 buildings.
• Maximum class sizes:
  • Elementary:
    • Grades 1-3: 23 students
    • Grade 4: 25 students
    • Grade 5: 27 students
    • Teachers get $5 per day for the first kid over the limit and $10 per day per kid up to a maximum of 4. Then the district must place an aide in the classroom.
  • Middle school: 33 students
    • Teachers with overloads get $2 per kid, per hour, per day.
  • High school: 34 students
    • Teacher with overloads get $2 per kid, per hour, per day.

• No more than one required meeting per week may be scheduled (limited to 1 hour)

Leave Time/Sick Days

• Sick leave days: 10 per year (accumulate without limit)
• Bereavement days: 2 per year (no accumulation)
• Personal leave days: 3 per year (accumulated with sick leave days)
  • May not be used for opening day of firearm deer season
• Teachers are paid $30 per unused sick leave day upon retirement from the district.
• Extended unpaid leaves:
  • Parental: birth/adoption of child (1 year)
  • General Purpose: Board's discretion (1 year)
  • MEA/NEA officer (unlimited)
• Union leave time: 110 days for union business per year

Extra Curricular Activities Compensation

• High school athletics (pay based on experience):
  • Football:
    • Varsity head coach: $4,442-$6,301
    • Assistants/JV: $2,665-$4,789
    • 9th grade head coach and assistants: $2,132-$4,032
  • Basketball, gymnastics, swimming, volleyball and wrestling:
    • Head coach: $3,553-$5,041
    • Assistants/JV: $2,132-$4,285
    • 9th grade and assistants: $2,132-$3,259
  • Baseball, soccer, softball and track:
    • Head coach: $ 2,843-$4,033
    • Assistants/JV: $2,132-$3,025
  • Cross country:
    • Head coach: $2,488-$3,529
  • Bowling, golf, tennis and competitive cheerleading:
    • Head coach: $2,132-$3,025\
    • Assistants: $1,421-$2,016
  • Other:
    • Assistant athletic coordinator: $2,843
    • Sideline cheerleading: $1,066-$1,512
    • Assistant sideline cheerleading: $711-$1,008
    • 9th grade cheerleading: $711-$1,008

• Middle school athletics (pay based on experience):
  • Football:
    • Head coach: $2,488-$3,529
    • Assistants/JV: $1,777-$2,521
  • Basketball and wrestling:
    • Head coach: $2,132-$3,024
    • Assistants/JV: $1,777-$2,647
  • Baseball and softball:
    • Head coach: $1,866-$2,647
    • Assistants/JV: $1,599-$2,269
  • Gymnastics, soccer, swimming, track and volleyball:
    • Head coach: $1,777-$2,521
    • Assistants/JV: $1,599-$2,269
  • Other:
    • Athletics director: $3,554
    • Cheerleading: $1,954-$2,773

• District-wide Extracurricular
  • ECOS Director: $3,198-$4,537
  • Disabled Sports Chairperson: $2,665-$3,781
  • Special Olympics Coordinator: $2,310-$3,277
  • Camping Program Director: $2,132-$3,025
  • Nature Center Director: $2,132-$3,025
  • Mentor Teacher: $1,777-$2,521

• High school extracurricular:
  • Marching band: $3,731-$5,293
  • Vocal music programs: $3,554-$5,041
  • Planetarium: $3,198-$4,537
  • Newspaper: $2,843-$4,033
  • Debate: $2,665-$3,781
  • Weightlifting: $2,665-$3,781
  • Yearbook: $2,488-$3,529
  • Musical/Operetta: $2,310-$3,277
  • Band Assistant: $2,132-$3,025
  • Forensics: $1,954-$2,773
  • Instrumental Programs: $1,777-$2,521
  • Dance Director: $1,421-$2,016
  • Photographer: $1,421-$2,016
  • STEP Sponsor: $1,421-$2,016
  • Wardrobe Manager: $1,421-$2,016
  • Dramatics: $1,244-$1,764 (per production)
  • Quiz Bowl Sponsor (Varsity): $1,244- $1,764
  • Set and Stage Manager: $1,244- $1,764
  • VICA Coordinator: $1,066- $1,512
  • Summer Band Camp: $888- $1,260
  • Marching Band Guard: $888-$1,260
  • Quiz Bowl Sponsor (JV): $711- $1,008
  • HOSA Coordinator: $711-$ $1,008
  • Robotics: $711- $1,008
  • Cafeteria Supervisor: $2,274
  • School Technology Leader: $2,843
  • Freshman Class Sponsor: $1,244
  • Intramurals: $3,598
  • Junior Class Sponsor: $1,398
  • Pit Orchestra Director: $711
  • Chorus Director: $711
  • Choreographer: $711
  • National Honor Society: $1,066
  • Senior Class Sponsor: $1,570
  • Sophomore Class Sponsor: $1,244
  • Future Teachers Club: $711
  • Ford Tech Honor Society: $1,066
  • HS Fitness Center Supervisor: $2,665

• Middle school extracurricular:
  • Intramurals: $3,174
  • School Technology Leader: $2,310
  • Music/Operetta: $2,310- $3,277
  • Cafeteria Supervisor: $2,274
  • Instrumental Programs: $1,777- $2,521
  • Vocal Music Programs: $1,777- $2,521
  • Newspaper: $1,599-$2,269
  • All-City Band: $1,510-$2,142
  • All-City Orchestra: $1,510-$2,142
  • Yearbook: $1,4210-$2,016
  • Dramatics: $1,244-$1,764 (per production)
  • Forensics: $1,244-$1,764
  • Set and Stage Manager: $1,244-$1,764
  • Wardrobe Manager: $1,244-$1,764
  • Dance: $1,066-$1,512
  • Golf Club Sponsor: $1,000
  • Bowling Sponsor: $1,000
  • 6th Grade Intramural Basketball: $1,000
  • 6th Grade Intramural Soccer: $1,000
  • 6th Grade Intramural Track: $1,000
  • 6th Grade Intramural Volleyball: $1,000
  • 6th Grade Intramural Wrestling: $1,000
  • National Honor Society: $711
  • Photographer: $711-$1,008
  • Quiz Bowl Sponsor: $711-$1,008
  • Student Council: $711

• Elementary extracurricular:
  • All-City Band: $1,510-$2,142
  • All-City Chorus: $1,510-$2,142
  • All-City Orchestra: $1,510-$2,142
  • School Technology Leader: $1,777
  • Emergency Duty Medication/Lunch Supervisor: $711
  • Newspaper: $711-$1,008
  • Safety Patrol Sponsor: $2,539
  • Service Squad Sponsor: $2,539
  • Student Council: $711-$1,008