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| Source: US Census Bureau |
In the state of
California, teachers are required to pay dues every month to the union
representing the educators in their district, whether an individual teachers
joins or not. A consensus among limited government advocates and First
Amendment supporters have challenged these “union shops” because they take
money without permission from individual employees and spend the funds on
candidates and causes whether they are supported by the union members or not.
The counterargument from labor union advocates follows like this:
"As an employee in the public sector, you get all the benefits of the union which negotiates on your behalf. They have every right to make you join, and make you pay. The union represents you when you get in trouble, too, and helps you deal with workplace issues."
Not exactly.
Ask any teacher on probationary status in any school district in California. By virtue of the contracts which they sign, they can be terminated for any reason during the first two years of the job, yet they still pay dues to the union, which can do nothing to prevent their termination for any reason.
The counterargument from labor union advocates follows like this:
"As an employee in the public sector, you get all the benefits of the union which negotiates on your behalf. They have every right to make you join, and make you pay. The union represents you when you get in trouble, too, and helps you deal with workplace issues."
Not exactly.
Ask any teacher on probationary status in any school district in California. By virtue of the contracts which they sign, they can be terminated for any reason during the first two years of the job, yet they still pay dues to the union, which can do nothing to prevent their termination for any reason.
“But they represent the
best interests of the teachers, nonetheless.”
One local school board member in the South Bay chided the current feckless state of teachers unions in California. Another teacher shared with me the utter weakness of her own union, as she struggled with large classes and little support. If teachers unions are the eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room, then how come they have done so little for their members in the face of massive budget cuts, rising class sizes, or and layoffs?
Indeed.
Unions protect unions, not teachers, nor any other members forced into their ranks. Why should they? Because California is not a right-to-work state, employees can be forced to join any collective bargaining unit. Such was the response I received from one representative after one orientation, when I asked her why I had to join.
States like Wisconsin and Michigan have governors who are not afraid to stand up to the unions, whether with collective bargaining reforms or right-to-work legislation. Following Walker’s legislation, seventy teachers’ unions decertified so that individual teachers could keep their money and spend it on whatever political causes they choose. Here, Governor Brown has accommodated teachers union. No surprise there, since he is the same governor who enacted the collective bargaining entitlement for public sector unions, including teachers during his first administration in the 1970s. Now that Brown has returned to office, he has little to show for the pension reforms much needed to curb the growing wall of debt hurting California’s credit and financial future.
One local school board member in the South Bay chided the current feckless state of teachers unions in California. Another teacher shared with me the utter weakness of her own union, as she struggled with large classes and little support. If teachers unions are the eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room, then how come they have done so little for their members in the face of massive budget cuts, rising class sizes, or and layoffs?
Indeed.
Unions protect unions, not teachers, nor any other members forced into their ranks. Why should they? Because California is not a right-to-work state, employees can be forced to join any collective bargaining unit. Such was the response I received from one representative after one orientation, when I asked her why I had to join.
States like Wisconsin and Michigan have governors who are not afraid to stand up to the unions, whether with collective bargaining reforms or right-to-work legislation. Following Walker’s legislation, seventy teachers’ unions decertified so that individual teachers could keep their money and spend it on whatever political causes they choose. Here, Governor Brown has accommodated teachers union. No surprise there, since he is the same governor who enacted the collective bargaining entitlement for public sector unions, including teachers during his first administration in the 1970s. Now that Brown has returned to office, he has little to show for the pension reforms much needed to curb the growing wall of debt hurting California’s credit and financial future.
As for California’s
teachers, they still have no paycheck protection, but that may change this
year,
A growing, grassroots cohort is taking the lead to end the immoral practice of coerced dues from teachers’ unions. Represented by the Washington-based Center for Individual Rights,
A growing, grassroots cohort is taking the lead to end the immoral practice of coerced dues from teachers’ unions. Represented by the Washington-based Center for Individual Rights,
California teachers are
suing to end the process, still very much at work in more than half the states
in this country.
Defenders of coerced dues and "union-shop" workplace agreements charge that teachers can easily opt out of paying dues every year. But they have to opt out on their own every year. Teachers in the LA Times piece, as well as in personal accounts, will share that they face great opposition to take back their money, and in many cases they do not get a full reimbursement.
Other concerns about coerced membership and compulsory dues return to the fact that the unions fund measures and candidates contrary to the support or the interest of the teachers themselves. Some educators support vouchers, charters schools, and even school choice, yet teachers' unions routinely oppose such reforms. Furthermore, the vast majority of unions funds go to Democratic candidates, even though 40% of teachers' union members in California are registered Republicans.
The California teachers' federal lawsuit initiated in April, 2013 will move to the 9th Circuit early this year. Perhaps with the upswing of right-to-work legislation throughout the Midwest, particularly Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's unparalleled collective bargaining reforms in the Dairy State, and even the growing rage of California residents with this state's public sector union cabal, public sector union dominance in the Golden State may be losing its luster at last.
Defenders of coerced dues and "union-shop" workplace agreements charge that teachers can easily opt out of paying dues every year. But they have to opt out on their own every year. Teachers in the LA Times piece, as well as in personal accounts, will share that they face great opposition to take back their money, and in many cases they do not get a full reimbursement.
Other concerns about coerced membership and compulsory dues return to the fact that the unions fund measures and candidates contrary to the support or the interest of the teachers themselves. Some educators support vouchers, charters schools, and even school choice, yet teachers' unions routinely oppose such reforms. Furthermore, the vast majority of unions funds go to Democratic candidates, even though 40% of teachers' union members in California are registered Republicans.
The California teachers' federal lawsuit initiated in April, 2013 will move to the 9th Circuit early this year. Perhaps with the upswing of right-to-work legislation throughout the Midwest, particularly Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's unparalleled collective bargaining reforms in the Dairy State, and even the growing rage of California residents with this state's public sector union cabal, public sector union dominance in the Golden State may be losing its luster at last.
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