Teachers Paid by Taxpayers for Union Work: Union work stipulations commonplace across the Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Independent reports:

Pennsylvania Bucks County teachers are allowed up to 35 days a year off from actual teaching to instead work for their union, according to the contract negotiated between the Pennsbury school district and the Pennsbury Education Association, the local teachers union.

These types of contracts are commonplace across the state, said Simon Campbell, president of StopTeacherStrikes, Inc., and board director of the Pennsbury school district. “I’ve read a lot of union contracts. From the contracts I’ve reviewed this is very commonplace, unfortunately. There seems to be a mindset among those who like the status quo that it is acceptable to pay teachers for time when they are working for the union when they should be teaching our students.”

In the Download file Pennsbury contract it states “A total of thirty-five (35) teacher days upon request with advance notice will be granted for Association business,” which Mr. Campbell says is separate from vacation days or other paid-time off. The contract was originally for 2005-2009 but was renewed through June 2010.

“When it comes to the 35 days off, the request must be accompanied with a note of the reason for the leave. From the list of reasons I have seen at Pennsbury, local teacher union officials deserting the students in their classrooms to attend the state union’s (PSEA) semi-annual “Hall of Delegates” is a popular reason.”

Rent seeking for fun and for profit! When Democrats talk about saving teachers from budget cuts: they weren't kidding.