Quitting government unions
made easy, thanks to website
Wisconsin Reporter – Ryan Ekvall – 10/7/2013
The Education Action
Group, a conservative education reform organization, and Wisconsin Institute
for Law and Liberty,
a conservative public interest law firm, sponsor the new website, TeacherFreedom.org.
The site generates an
automated letter.
“I object to paying any
further union dues, fees, or assessments. I demand that you issue a refund of
any prepaid dues to which I am entitled. This letter is also notice that I
hereby revoke any agreement in place to automatically deduct union dues, fees,
or assessments from my earnings or from any of my accounts or to charge such
fees on my credit card.”
“Any further collection of
dues or fees from me will violate my rights under Wisconsin
law,” concludes the letter.
Teachers can print the
letter and send it in to their union representative and employer.
Some 400 unions representing more than 60,000 school
district employees will face re-certification elections in November, meaning
government union membership in Wisconsin
could plunge even further.
New website reminds Wisconsin teahers they
are allowed to resign from unions, tells them how to do it
EAG News.org – Steve Gunn
TeacherFreedom.org, a
new website sponsored by Education Action Group and the Wisconsin Institute for
Law and Liberty,
reminds teachers that they don’t have to belong to any branch of WEAC, the
American Federation of Teachers or any other teachers union.
As the website says, under
Act 10, “union membership is completely voluntary. You cannot legally be fired
from your job or be penalized for belonging to a union or refraining from
membership.
“Before Act 10, unions could
require nonmembers as a contingency of employment to pay agency fees to cover
the costs associated with collective bargaining. Since Act 10, nonmembers can
no longer be forced to pay agency fees or otherwise be forced to make mandatory
contributions to their union.”
Since the law changed, many
school districts have been recruiting and negotiating with veteran teachers,
with no salary restrictions. School districts are now free to pay whatever they
can afford to attract reputable teachers, and teachers are free to accept
higher salaries.
Some Wisconsin
school administrators have reported offering teachers from other districts
raises of $10,000 or more to make the switch.
“I think, over the next few
years, a lot of Wisconsin educators will be
excited to learn about their increased value on the open market,” Olson said.
“Teachers are extremely important professionals, and community school districts
are under a lot of pressure from parents to attract the best possible educators.
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