You would be doing the country a service and might make a little money on the side.
DFU, I would reverse it. The DNC is wholly owned by the NEA
Seems like a career ender to me....unions can be ruthless.
I too have helped some of my daughter's friends who are teachers to get their funds sent to someone other than the candidates the NEA supports. Many teachers only belong so they can get their insurance to protect them against lawsuits.
If you look at the damage done to the catholic church in America by the sex abuse scandal, I would suggest spreading the word about the much more widespread sexual abuse in our schools.
When you really think about it, as government employess, it is tax payer money...
The union can be a career-ender depending on where you are. When I was in California, I was once teaching a fourth-grader how to read after hours. The time was 4:20 p.m. My union rep walked in and asked me what I was doing; I told him that I was tutoring the student. He told me that the contract was from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. When I protested that my job was to teach, he told me, "You don't want to cause any trouble here." I left that district at the end of the year. In my new district, the union is weak enough so most staff are not members. The only reason to join the union is to obtain harassment insurance, and that can be obtained in other places, too. There are 100,000 school districts in the United States... my advice to a teacher disgusted with the union is to vote with his feet. I've even talked with the state rep here about the one-party stance of the NEA, and he glumly conceded the problem. In this state, the NEA doesn't support candidates anymore, although their stance on issues is still biased toward the Left. Many teachers I know are fed up with the union... I suspect the same thing is true with the rank-and-file of other unions supporting Democrats. My solution was simply not to be a member. Hasn't hurt me one bit in this district. I can see where it would be harmful elsewhere, though.
My wife is currently on maternity leave, but she's been paying those dues for about seven years now.
We homeschool!
Another way public school parents can damage the liberal education establishment is by NOT JOINING THE PTA. TWO DOLLARS of a person's membership dues are automatically sent to the National PTA, which is an arm of the NEA and socialists of America. Go check out the National PTA website, and check out their voter guides. I had not done so until a few minutes ago, but I wanted to make sure of my accusations before I posted. The PTA is NOT an innocent organization for folks who want to support their children and their local schools. It is a scam.
Rush, Sean or Laura were talking to a caller yesterday, and they had something to say about this. There is some legislation about this being illegal, if used for political endorsements that members don't agree with.
It isn't just the teachers. My brother is a firefighter and pulled out of his union for the same reason. Ditto cops, etc.
bump
Good thread, DFU. My sister is a conservative teacher appalled by the political activism of the NEA. I've sent her a link to this thread to monitor for details and suggestions.
I'm doing my part by sending my children to a private, Bible-based classical school! I'll be bankrupted by the time they graduate, but at least they won't be brainwashed by a bunch of fascists!
You would be doing the country a service and might make a little money on the side.
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Your Legal Rights: Public School Teacher or College Professor |
Question: How do I cut off the use of my dues for politics and other nonbargaining activities? [NOTE: You must be a non-member to avail yourself of the rights discussed on this page. If you are currently a member of the union, you must first become a non-member and then object in order to receive your dues rebate or reduction. To learn how to become a non-member, click here.]
Answer: If you work in a Right to Work state, you not only have the right to refrain from becoming a union member, you cannot be required to pay anything to the union unless you choose to join the union.
If you wish to see a list of the 22 Right to Work States, click here.
Educators in non-Right to Work states who are required to pay union dues or fees of a condition of employment have the right to cut off the portion of their dues used for political and other non-bargaining activities. As a result of Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, 431 U.S. 209 (1977), a lawsuit that was supported by the Foundation, educators cannot be required to do more than pay a union fee (typically called an "agency fee") that equals their share of what the union can prove is its costs of collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment.
Except in extraordinary cases, the union's costs of collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment do not equal the dues amount.
If you are a nonmember, you have a right to object and obtain a reduction of your compulsory agency fee payments so that they do not include the part of dues that is used for purposes other than collective bargaining and contract administration.
The employer and the union must establish certain procedures to safeguard your right to pay only a limited fee to the union. These safeguards include giving you:
- Audited financial information about how the amount of the agency fee was calculated;
- An opportunity to challenge the amount of the agency fee before an impartial decisionmaker and make the union prove its fee claim; and,
- The right to place the contested amount of the agency fee in escrow so that the union will not be able to illegally use your money while a decision on the proper amount of the agency fee is pending.
Your right to proper safeguards is based upon Chicago Teachers Union v. Hudson, 475 U.S. 292 (1986), another lawsuit that was supported by the Foundation.
In Lehnert v. Ferris Faculty Association, 500 U.S. 507 (1991), another Foundation-supported lawsuit, the Supreme Court discussed the type of expenses which are chargeable and which are not chargeable to nonmember teachers.
If you would like to get an idea of the types of union expenses which are not chargeable to nonmembers, click here.
If you are a non-member in a non-Right to Work state where state law or the contract requires you to pay union fees and would like to see a sample objection letter that will allow you to keep part of the money that you have been sending to the union, click here. You should check with the union to see if it has a policy concerning when and to whom objections should be submitted.
If you would like to learn more about your rights as a public school teacher or college professor, click on the appropriate question below:
- Can I be required to be a union member or pay dues to a union?
- How can I resign my union membership?
- How do I cut off the use of my dues for politics and other nonbargaining activities?
- What if I have religious objections to joining or financially supporting a union?
- What if I am a victim of union violence?
- What if I want to work during a strike?
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