The choice of whether to fund a union is a deeply personal one. Public school employees who have chosen not to be union members have done so for a number of reasons, including the following:
- The union spends too much money on political causes.
- The union isn’t representing me well.
- I would like freedom to make choices that benefit my family and me without fear of union punishment.
- My family budget is tight, and it would really help if the union wasn’t taking dues money from me every paycheck.
The union spends too much money on political causes.
Unions are inherently political. And member dues fund politicians and causes that workers may oppose. Opting out allows you to determine where your hard-earned money goes.
Take a look at the following examples from the Illinois Federation of Teachers and American Federation of Teachers, the umbrella organizations of Chicago Teachers Union:
- IEA and NEA spend millions on politics.
Between 2013 and 2017, IEA and NEA spent over $219 million on political activities and lobbying.
- NEA has been known to spend more on politics than on representing workers.
Federal reporting documents reveal that twice in the last five years, NEA has spent more on political activities and lobbying than it has on representational activities.
- IEA’s PAC spends millions on Illinois politics.
Between 2013 and 2017, it directed over $11.3 million to election committees and other political action committees in Illinois.
The union isn’t representing me well.
There’s a good chance you never voted for your union. In fact, many of Illinois’ government worker
unions were in place before current workers were even born.
Perhaps the union failed to provide adequate support when you filed a grievance.
Maybe the union’s priorities no longer reflect the priorities of its members.
Or perhaps you don’t oppose the politicians the union supports, but think the union’s job is to represent you –
not to engage in highly political activities.
Opting out allows you to retain your dues if you don’t think the union is representing you well.
And it sends a message that the union needs to work harder to support the workers it represents.
I would like more freedom to make choices that benefit my family and me – without fear of union punishment
Public school strikes are not uncommon in Illinois. In fact, the state is home to two of the nation’s biggest government worker strikes in the last decade
– both at the hands of Chicago Teachers Union.
And that means educators in Illinois frequently have to make an intensely personal and stressful decision: 1)
Go to work and get paid – and risk fines or other punishment by the union, or 2) Go on strike –
and risk not only your paycheck, but, unbeknownst to many workers, maybe even your job.
Because the union has no disciplinary authority over nonmembers, opting out provides you more freedom to make the choice that is best for you and your family.
My family budget is tight, and it would really help if the union wasn’t taking dues money from me every paycheck.
A public school employee directs hundreds of dollars – or more – every year to his or her government union. That is money the worker earns, but never gets to see.
Opting out of the union allows you to keep more of your hard-earned money.