In my last blog, I reported that Mary Lindquist, president of the Washington State teachers union, draws a salary of $163,479 from the union, plus $14,925 in pension benefits. As public records show that she draws a salary from the Mercer Island School District, I reported that she received a salary from the district as well.
I called the Mercer Island School District today and found out I was wrong to suggest that Ms. Lindquist receives a salary from the district on top of her union pay. Hidden from public view, the union returns all her salary and some of her benefits to the district. This pretense, that she remains a teacher in the Mercer Island School District, allows her receive a second pension based on phantom years of service, even though she is not serving as a teacher. I noticed that she received a salary increase of $4,000 between 2007 and 2010, from $66,000 to $71,734. This also adds to her pension, as pension benefits are based upon the highest salary levels earned.
