teacher
unions: your money, your rights! |
In
right to work states, teachers have the right to join or to
refrain from joining the teachers union. But states such
as Washington and Oregon have compulsory
union fees as a condition of employment. This Summary
of Teachers Rights informs teachers facing mandatory
union fees how to protect their paychecks from funding
nonrepresentational non-educational politics
and sharing of their union fees with other organizations.
IDAHO TEACHER RIGHTS
Idaho
teachers may revoke their union dues
payroll authorization at any time according to Idaho's Right to Work statute.
However, the union payroll deduction authorization form states
that a teacher must resign by October 15 in order to stop the
agreement to pay for union dues. For a sample UNION RESIGNATION letter for Idaho
(and districts in Washington/Oregon that do NOT require union
fees), click here.
WASHINGTON AND OREGON
TEACHER RIGHTS
Thomas Jefferson said, "To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical." While many employees support their local union, they may desire to opt out of the
state union and NEA because of their support of political and social issues that the educator opposes.
If you do not want your union dues to pay for politics with which you disagree, educators in agency fee states have two options. One is to become an
objecting non-member "agency fee payer." The other option is to become a "religious
objector" who is allowed to send 100% of union dues to a
nonreligious charity.
AGENCY
FEE PAYER REBATE
If you want a union dues rebate because you have political
or ideological objections to WEA/NEA's agenda, you can become a
nonunion objecting "agency fee payer." Agency fee
payers pay the union 100% of regular dues, but
""objectors" are eligible to claim a rebate of
roughly 25-30% each year if they remember to request it in
writing each fall. Agency fee payers pay for collective
bargaining, contract maintenance, and grievance resolution
services which the union is legally obligated to provide to the
agency fee payers.
Use
the agency fee objector
letter template to exercise the right to an agency fee payer
rebate. Please contact NWPE to be put on a reminder list
to send in your letter each fall.
RELIGIOUS
OBJECTOR
A religious objector is an individual of faith who does not want to belong to the union for reasons of conscience. Under the provisions of state law and similar federal provisions in Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act, if the union’s activities violate your sincere religious beliefs, you may choose to have the equivalent of your union dues sent to a charity rather than the union.
To exercise this option, see:
Religious
Objector Letter Template
Union
Political Activity
For a printer-friendly document on teacher rights in compulsory union fee states,
click here.
