Mary Shapiro, a 35-year Minnesota veteran teacher, remembers a time when belonging to a union meant being part of a “local only” association concerned almost entirely with improving working and learning conditions in her school.
“When I first started teaching, union representation wasn’t political at all. The union’s role was…
Minnesota teachers who do not belong to the union can get affordable liability coverage and support their local union. Here is how.
Teachers and other school employees cannot choose to only pay dues to their local union. They can, however, opt-out of their union membership and then send donations to their local association if they so choose. This is a great way to recognize and thank your local reps for the work they must do as the bargaining agent for the union.
It is back-to-school time for teachers and education support professionals (ESPs) but is it back to the union as well? For the 66,000 licensed K-12 teachers and 7,400 ESPs who signed an Education Minnesota union card, there is a very narrow seven-day window to resign that runs between September 24 and September 30. EducatedTeachersMN is here to answer your questions so you can decide for yourself what is best.
It has been two months to the day since the U.S. Supreme Court decided to give all public employees a voice and choice when it comes to union membership. Prior to the ruling, awareness of the Janus v. AFSCME case was quite low. But a new survey of government union members shows post-Janus knowledge of the Supreme Court ruling is high, and many think the ruling is a positive development.
Minnesota’s unfunded public pension obligations are not a new problem. And reform is difficult when government unions oppose necessary steps to fix the broken system and refuse to consider savings options that offer real retirement security for employees. If the TRA pension fund is not appropriately reformed, Minnesota educators may not get the retirement benefit they have been promised.
Educators in the classroom today have tremendous responsibility, and due to the unpredictability of the school environment, it is important they are protected. It is also important teachers know they have options for this coverage; it is not something only provided through union membership.
Education Minnesota's refund request hotline details out the complicated process to get a $30 refund.
Each year Education Minnesota charges teachers $25.00 for its political action committee or “PAC.” There is also a $5 charge for the union’s Educational Foundation, donations to which are not tax deductible. If a teacher wants to get a refund to protect his or her constitutional right not to fund…