Teacher Union Executives Get Big Raises as Teachers Take Cuts

By TOM GANTERT | July 9, 2012 Follow Tom Gantert on Twitter

Michigan public school teachers who are facing pay freezes and pay cuts might be surprised to know that the dues they pay that go to their national unions helped give the national presidents raises of 19 percent and 22 percent in 2011.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten had her base salary increase from $342,552 in 2010 to $407,323 in 2011 while National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel's base salary jumped from $298,387 in 2010 to $362,644. The salary information was taken from the unions most recent LM-2 reports.

Van Roekel's total compensation went from $397,721 to $460,060 from 2010 to 2011, while Weingarten’s total compensation jumped from $428,284 in 2010 to $493,859 in 2011.

Those raises came as both unions lost membership....