Ret. Maj. Stephen Godin says he could be fired from his ROTC teaching job for refusing to pay union dues.
Posted on 06/17/2010 6:38:41 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
The Massachusetts Governor signed a bill on Wednesday afternoon that saves the job of a retired Marine and public high school ROTC instructor who refused to pay teachers union fees.
Gov. Deval Patrick signed a supplemental bill that included language added as an amendment by state senator Richard R. Tisei that exempts Junior ROTC instructors at public high school across the state from having to pay union fees. Juan Martinez, Patrick's press secretary, confirmed that the ROTC provision was signed.
It was passed by the Massachusetts Senate and House earlier this week.
Sen. Tisei introduced legislation last week on behalf of Maj. Stephen L. Godin, a retired Marine and senior naval science instructor at the Naval Junior ROTC at North High in Worcester. Godin told who said he receives medical and dental benefits and half his salary from the military and refused to join the union or pay it's "agency fee," which is assessed to offset the union's collective bargaining costs.
On Monday, Tisei, who is also running for lieutenant governor on the Republican ticket, reintroduced the bill as an amendment to a supplement bill that was passed by the Massachusetts Senate and House. The language added to the bill exempts public school junior ROTC teachers across the state from having to pay union fees.
Patrick, a Democrat is running for re-election against Republican Charlie Baker, whose running mate is Tisei.
Godin has told FoxNews.com that he has been teaching in Worcester for 15 years without having to join the teacher's union or pay the agency fee. But last month he said he received a letter from school officials telling him he'll lose his job if he doesn't pay up by Tuesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Ret. Maj. Stephen Godin says he could be fired from his ROTC teaching job for refusing to pay union dues.
THis is a special interest Bill if I ever saw one. Why should ANY teacher have to pay Union dues if they don’t want to? Right to work should extend to teachers too.
How about a “right to work” for everyone in Mass?
You want to join a union - great!
You don’t want to join a union - great!
Forcing someone to join and pay dues to a union as a condition of employment - not very American.
Still, she has to pay an "agency fee" as she supposedly benefits from the union contract.
effin unions...
While I agree that Maj. Godin shouldn't have to pay union dues if he doesn't want to, the bill provides for special protection under the law, and should be struck down as unconstitutional. The solution here is to eliminate the state mandated taxes earmarked for unions.
Next step should be to bar making mandatory dues be part of any future union contract, for all employees. If the unions want money, they should have to ask individual members.
THis is a special interest Bill if I ever saw one. Why should ANY teacher have to pay Union dues if they don’t want to? Right to work should extend to teachers too.
Amen to that. Here in MO, you don’t have to join or pay dues to that corrupt organization called the NEA. MSTA is the way to go for REAL TEACHERS!
Unlike Mitt that wouldn’t pardon Anthony Circosta.
Why should ANY ONE have to pay UNION dues if they don’t want to. Right to work should extend to EVERYONE!
I work in a closed shop and it blows.
These knuckleheads will strike for 3 months over a nickle an hour. And I’m forced to pay an hr/week wage to them for the privlige of having high school dropouts negotiate with my employer on my behalf. They got all butthurt when I told those guys to retain a lawyer for contract year because, you know they actually take classes on negotiations. Unlike you jackasses.
Look you jackbags, I negotiate with my employer with my feet, if he’s giving me a raw deal i’ll take my toolbox and go somewhere else.
Ugh. Skilled Employee captured by unskilled ones. It fing blows
I thank God, reverently, that this came down in an election year, and that Deval is worried he might lose. Yes, he miffed the union, but who are they going to vote for? The Republican? Meanwhile ordinary citizens had united behind this man. Even in MA good things happen once in a great while.
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