The salaries and benefits of U.S. teachers have risen substantially in recent years, with the average package now approaching $48,000 annually. But this compensation is paltry compared to the deal worked out by the staff of the National Education Association in Washington, D.C. The average NEA employee earned over $97,000 in cash and benefits last year -- $70,780 in salary and allowances, and another $26,230 in benefits. Nearly 86 percent of the union's national employees received more than the average teacher. In fact, 130 employees -- a full 22 percent of its work force -- received more than $100,000 in cash from the union last year. NEA's 597-member staff consumes a payroll of $42.3 million and an additional $15.7 million in benefits. The top earner was outgoing President Keith Geiger, who walked off with $309,400. His successor, Robert F. Chase, received $244,000 as vice president. The figures for Chase are particularly edifying because, at a conference in California in February, Chase claimed not to know how much he made. An insistent union member finally received a written response from Chase that pegged his salary in the $180,000 range. This half-truth conveniently leaves off several cash allowances -- some of which total as much as 20 percent of annual salary. The cash compensation figures cited here include basic salary, living allowances, "fringe benefit" allowances, travel allowances, companion travel payments and other taxable stipends. Benefit costs include medical, dental, retirement, life insurance and other payments not made directly to the employee. These annualized averages may even be understated because, for the purpose of computing averages, WorldNetDaily has assumed that all 597 employees worked full-time for the entire year. However, 25 employees received less than $10,000 from the union, suggesting they worked less than a full year or part-time. WorldNetDaily also omitted disbursements to NEA's board of directors, whose salaries are mostly paid by the state affiliates they represent. Even so, an additional $2.3 million was disbursed to the approximately 160-member board. Perks granted to NEA officials were unavailable, but it is likely they are comparable to those afforded to board members of the California Teachers Association, NEA's largest affiliate. Board members receive:

• First-class air travel when the trip exceeds four hours.
• Authorization for chartered airplane travel in case "constraints of timeliness" would "make it imperative."
• Reimbursement for laundry, dry cleaning, in-room movies and exercise facilities when a trip consists of three days or more.
• A separate union phone line in their homes.
• Automobile maintenance and repair, plus comprehensive insurance coverage if the vehicle is driven more than 10,000 miles for union business. The union self-insures the deductible.
• Office supplies and computer equipment for board members' homes.
• A new set of luggage and a briefcase every three years.
• $300 per month for child, pet or garden care.
• Companion travel to three union events per year.

Executive officers receive, in addition to the above benefits, 30 days paid vacation and 24 days of sick leave per year; companion travel for 30 days per year; additional credit cards; an $1,800 per year annuity; free income tax preparation and free financial planning services. The union self-insures the deductibles for their health and welfare benefit costs, and maintains residences near CTA headquarters in Burlingame for the primary use of the executive officers. The accompanying table shows the top 50 NEA earners for fiscal year 1995-96. All numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred. NEA Cash Compensation, 1995-96: 1)Keith Geiger, president $309,400 2)Robert F. Chase, vice president $244,000 3)Marilyn Monahan, treasurer $239,600 4)Don Cameron, executive director $217,100 5)Mary Elizabeth Teasley, director $155,600 6)Kenneth Melley, asst. exec. director $154,700 7)Daniel C. McKillip, regional director $152,600 8)Tony J. Rollins, asst. exec. director $151,000 9)Eugene Dryer, regional director $146,900 10)Earl H. Jones, director $142,200 11) Donald J. Keck, org. specialist $141,600 12) Linda Boitano, manager $141,500 13) Phillip A. Moeckli, regional director $140,700 14) Nelson S. Okino, regional director $140,400 15) John De Mars, director $139,300 16) Elverta Williams, regional director $139,000 17) Irma L. Kramer, asst. exec. director $137,500 18) Evelyn M. Temple, asst. exec. director $137,000 19) Lynn M. Coffin, senior director $136,300 20) Larry Diebold, special assistant $135,300 21) Kristeen Hanselman, director $133,000 22) Lawrence Sorensen, director $132,700 23) Barbara J. Yentzer, director $132,700 24) Wayne S. Diviney, asst. exec. director $131,900 25) Gerald T. Gripper, org. specialist $130,100 26) Sheila Simmons, director $129,600 27) Charles E. Bolden, org. specialist $128,600 28) Charles T. Williams, director $127,200 29) Edwin L. Haynes, director $127,100 30) Leon Felix Jr., regional director $126,700 31) John McKaharay, org. specialist $125,900 32) Patricia Ann Orrange, director $124,600 33) John Chase, manager $124,100 34) Fred Eugene Grooms, org. specialist $123,700 35) Arlene Suzanne Flores, manager $123,300 36) Carmen A. Quesada, manager $122,900 37) Samuel Pizzigatti, director $122,600 38) Ronald D. Henderson, director $122,400 39) Lynn Ohman, director $122,100 40) Terry A. Sarra, director $121,300 41) Mae Tanaka Kim, org. specialist $120,600 42) Barry A. Melamed, org. specialist $120,400 43) Warlene Gary, manager $119,800 44) John E. Dunlop, director $119,800 45) Richard J. Nuanes, director $119,300 46) Maurice Joseph, dep. general counsel $118,300 47) Peter Arum, org. specialist $118,200 48) Wilbur V. Luna, manager $118,100 49) Patrick H. Perez, org. specialist $117,800 50) William R. Martin, director $117,700