Educators, we hope the new school year is going smoothly so far! Now that your classrooms are set up and lesson planning is underway, it’s time to think about your options regarding union membership.
If you already created your opt-out letter, you can submit it today…
On Labor Day, the Minnesota State Fair’s afternoon parade included a number of union floats. Being Labor Day and all, unions were seizing the opportunity to highlight their “pro-worker” mantra.
But very little of union members’ dues go toward representation. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, less than 25…
Every paycheck, a portion of union members’ hard-earned money is automatically deducted to cover union dues. They don’t have a say in how the money is spent, they are just left to trust their union leaders to use the dues money to represent them and their interests.
But cases of…
Educators ready to exercise their freedom of choice regarding union membership can begin doing so today. Minnesota’s teachers’ union, Education Minnesota, recently expanded the opt-out window from seven days in September to the entire month (Sept. 1-Sept. 30). You have 30 days to resign, otherwise your membership automatically renews.
Educators…
Educators weighing their options regarding union membership are often presented with misinformation on what happens outside of belonging to a union.
“The union is the only way you will be legally protected!”
“Only the union protects you from a principal who doesn’t like you!”
“Only the union provides in-person support!”
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As teachers maneuver through the many challenges and burdens that come with the teaching profession, it’s important they feel supported. This support must include respect for their personal choices regarding union membership.
Just as educators encourage their students to be independent thinkers and hold true to themselves, so too should…
If a teacher chooses to opt-out of the teachers’ union, the terms of the negotiated agreement no longer apply to that teacher.
Fact:Because the union fought for—and won—the right to exclusively represent both members and non-members, the union must represent all employees in good faith and all employees…
Many teachers are concerned about how their co-workers will react if they decide that union membership is not the best option for them and their families. But union membership is a personal decision. And teachers are deciding to resign from the union for a variety of reasons. Having choices empowers…
This op-ed first appeared in the July 26 print edition of the Dassel-Cokato Enterprise Dispatch.
For over a year now, teachers have had the freedom to choose whether to financially support a government union. Their freedom to choose was reinforced on June 27, 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled…