It’s that time of year again — back to school! Teachers are diligently working on establishing classroom routines and writing lesson plans, but there is another important decision that falls during the busiest time of year: determining if union membership is right for them.
From today (Sept. 1) until Sept. 30, Minnesota teachers can exercise their right to opt-out of union membership and stop financially supporting Education Minnesota and its affiliates.
Union membership is a personal decision, and for a variety of reasons, thousands of Minnesota educators have said “no thanks” to what the union and its affiliates prioritize. A common theme is concern that union leadership has become increasingly disconnected from the professional realities teachers face every day. Educators have pointed to too much attention — and funding — going toward broader political causes that don’t align with teachers’ priorities and values.
The perceived gap between leadership priorities and member needs has raised questions over the value of membership. That’s particularly true as dues continue to rise while liability insurance can be obtained elsewhere for a fraction of the cost and without the politics attached.
Saying “no thanks” to union membership doesn’t make an educator less committed to his or her students or colleagues. It means that teacher is letting the union know it doesn’t speak for every educator and shouldn’t hold a monopoly on their voice.
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Fast Facts for Educators
- Salary and benefits are provided by your employer, the school district, and are not impacted by union membership status.
- Your pension is not impacted by union membership status.
- Tenure and seniority are not impacted by union membership status.
- The union is not the only one that offers liability insurance and legal consult.
- The district and union cannot discriminate or retaliate against you based on your union membership status. You also cannot be fired from your job for not belonging to a union.
- No meeting with your local union rep is required to resign union membership.
- Non-members are not “free loaders” or “scabs” — the union fought for and won the right to be the exclusive representative for all employees within the collective bargaining unit. If the union only wants to represent dues-paying members, it could lobby (as it does on many other issues) to have the law changed.
- If you opted out of the union in a previous year, and did not sign any new membership forms, your resignation is still in effect and you do not need to send in future opt-out letters.
Hear from some Minnesota teachers below who decided union membership is not right for them.