KEYTA Members Join Together to Fight Compulsory Union Fees
1/16/2009 12:19:00 PM
KEYTA is working with dozens of members across Pennsylvania who have decided to challenge the calcu…
KEYTA is working with dozens of members across Pennsylvania who have decided to challenge the calculation fee of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) and the National Education Association’s (NEA) compulsory union dues, also known as “fair share fees.” This fee, which can hardly be called “fair,” is for presumed collective bargaining expenses.
One of PSEA’s top priorities is to make sure that every school district becomes “union shop.” What does this mean for those who are currently free from teaching in a union shop school district? It means that upon your contract’s renewal, the PSEA will attempt to put the “fair share fee” clause into your teachers’ agreement. If this occurs, you will no longer have the freedom to fund or not fund the teacher unions. Also, the local union representatives will usually attempt to convince you that since you are paying a large amount to the union in fees anyway, you might as well just become a full-fledged member. However, if you continue to abstain from union membership, you will be required to pay their union fee. This fee is currently $405, which is quite a hefty sum to charge those who have chosen not to support the union.
For years KEYTA has been fighting to repeal the law, Act 84 of 1988 known as the Agency Shop Law, that allows this to occur. By succeeding in its repeal, all Pennsylvania educators would once again have their freedom of association restored. In a time when our educators are teaching students of their rights and individual freedoms, it seems hypocritical that the unions don’t allow the same for the educators themselves.
Members who are standing up to this coercion are challenging the union based on one or both of two possible objections. The first is based on the amount of the union fee. The second is based on their religious or moral beliefs, as well as if they have a conscientious objection to joining or financially supporting labor organizations.
How do religious beliefs matter to a teachers union? The PSEA and NEA support a laundry list of non-educational, social organizations that may go against an individuals’ personal or religious values. Since the union supports such agendas, how one feels morally on these issues may allow them to have their union fee directed to a charity approved by the union. A complete list of the organizations that the PSEA and NEA support with union dues can be found on KEYTA’s website.
Unlike the teacher’s union, KEYTA uses 100% of its members’ dues to support educators…not social agendas unrelated to education. It is for this reason that we are assisting educators in challenging this union fee, which will ultimately bring us closer to repealing the law that allows such coercion to exist.
If you are in a union shop school district and would like KEYTA’s assistance in challenging this fee, please contact us at 877-33-KEYTA or at info@keyta.org. The deadline to file your challenge for the 2008-2009 school year is January 20. If you are not in a union shop school district, please write your school board and voice your opposition to the “fair share fee” clause being placed into your next bargaining agreement.
