Updates

Teachers and ESPs Who Are Union Members: Your “Opt-Out” Window is September 24-30

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.

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Survey Says: Majority of Public Sector Union Members See Janus Ruling as ‘Positive’

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.

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Pensions are Under Pressure, But Unions Misplace the Blame

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.

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Non-Union Teacher Associations Offer Educators Double Protection

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.

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Audio of What Teachers Have to Do to Get $30 Back From Education Minnesota

Education Minnesota's refund request hotline details out the complicated process to get a $30 refund.

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Uff-Da: What teachers must do to get a $30 refund from Education Minnesota for PAC, etc.

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…

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A Letter to Colleagues: Why I am not a Member of the Union

Dear Fellow Educator,

Have you heard? The Supreme Court made a big First Amendment decision this summer that affects all public employees, including teachers. The Court said that we can no longer be forced to financially support a union without first giving “affirmative consent.” This means that we do not…

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Nathan Strenge’s Story

By any measure, Nathan Strenge is an outstanding teacher. Accepted into the Gate’s Foundation’s Teacher Advisory Council, he’s won national teaching honors and been nominated as Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year. But the enormous skill and dedication that earned such recognition were not enough to move the union Nathan financially…

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Linda Hoekman’s Story

Linda Hoekman loves teaching and says she can’t imagine doing anything else. As a high school physics teacher, she loves seeing the joy in students’ eyes when they finally grasp a challenging concept. She assumed that’s what motivated every teacher but learned that not all teachers are determined to give their…

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