Posts tagged Aaron Withe
Freedom Foundation Announces the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a Non-Union Alternative for Educators
March 8, 2025 // The Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA) was created to address the growing frustration teachers have with the direction public education is rapidly heading in no small part due to the radical agenda of the teachers unions. The Teacher Freedom Alliance supports educators in their mission to develop free, moral, and responsible citizens. As an alternative to traditional unions, TFA offers pro-America educators a place to find support and comradery in an organization dedicated to restoring the broken education system—without any additional cost to those who choose to join. TFA is committed to promoting traditional educational values, providing teachers with superior resources, and fostering a school culture where educators are empowered to advocate for themselves and their students with an emphasis on excellence in the classroom over radical ideologies. With teachers increasingly disillusioned by the agendas and reckless political spending of union leadership, TFA offers a much-needed alternative.
A Tale of Two Teachers’ Unions
November 17, 2023 // Efforts to decertify the teachers’ union in Miami are possible because conservatives won elections and passed a good law that limits public-sector unions’ power. States with conservative governments should follow Florida’s lead and pass similar laws. States with progressive governments will continue to struggle under the burden of unrepresentative teachers’ unions.
Record number of public employees abandoned their unions this quarter
October 10, 2023 // “I couldn’t be more proud of the work the Freedom Foundation is doing to help people keep more of their hard-earned paychecks and stop funding distant, bloated, ideological government unions," Freedom Foundation CEO Aaron Withe said in a statement. "These aren’t merely statistics; they represent thousands of public employees exercising their constitutional right not to be forced to fund union activity as a condition of employment. “It’s gratifying to know that as the cost of everyday goods and services continues to rise, our work is directly helping people put more gas in their car or food on their table rather than line the pockets of union bosses who back the very policies causing many of the country’s economic hardships,” Withe said. Public unions nationwide have about 7 million members and subsequently collect over $5 billion annually in dues. As the average annual rate of dues is $1,000, the Freedom Foundation estimates that $13 million was saved with the third quarter opt-outs alone.
Burlison introduces bill to stop automatic Union payroll deductions
July 31, 2023 // Missouri 7th District Representative Eric Burlison introduced the Paycheck Protection Act, which will establish transparency and protect the rights of federal employees by prohibiting labor unions from deducting dues directly from their paychecks. Labor unions, unlike other dues-paying membership groups, are allowed to deduct dues directly from paychecks. The Paycheck Protection Act would eliminate this practice by requiring federal labor unions to collect dues payments directly from their members. Burlison said the measure will empower workers with vital information about the exact amount of dues they pay, thereby promoting transparency, financial awareness, and informed decision-making.
FREEDOM FOUNDATION APPLAUDS REP. FITZGERALD’S PROPOSAL TO OVERHAUL THE NEA’S FEDERAL CHARTER
July 19, 2023 // Some of the reforms include: prohibiting the NEA from engaging in electoral politics and lobbying, a restriction included in 60 percent of federal charters; requiring the NEA to submit an annual report to Congress; fully repealing the NEA’s D.C. property tax exemption; prohibiting the NEA from collecting dues from a public employee unless the employee has been notified of his or her right to refuse — and affirmatively consented — and require the NEA to collect dues without the use of government payroll systems; prohibiting taxpayer-funded release time for NEA officers; barring the NEA from incorporating the core tenets of Critical Race Theory into its governance, operations and advocacy; subjecting the NEA and its affiliates to the financial transparency requirements and union democracy protections of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act; and, requiring the NEA to refrain from initiating, and to actively intervene to prevent, any strikes or work stoppages by its affiliates.
New Book Details Government Unions Using Taxpayer Dollars to Push Radical Ideology on the Nation
July 6, 2023 // Teachers unions are writing the playbook of the hard Left. The Freedom Foundation obtained “Racial Justice in Education,” an internal document published in 2018 by the National Education Association. It illustrates, in shocking detail, the degree to which the nation’s largest teachers union embraces the tenets of critical race theory and shows how this neo-Marxist ideology serves as the fountainhead of the union’s support of a host of radical policies, from defunding the police to banning voter ID requirements.
FREEDOM FOUNDATION KICKS OFF MAJOR TV AD CAMPAIGN TARGETING GOVERNMENT WORKERS
August 29, 2022 // “This is just the beginning of our media outreach campaign to public employees,” said Freedom Foundation CEO Aaron Withe. “Since expanding to all 50 states last summer, we’ve contacted millions of government employees, including teachers, via email, mail and door-to-door canvassing. Now, we’re taking our message to the airwaves. “ Withe said he anticipates huge numbers of government union members will contact the Freedom Foundation thanks to the commercials.
Teachers Unions Fund Left Wing Politics
June 1, 2022 // The LM-2 also lists another $117 million spent for “contributions, gifts and grants,” that were primarily political in nature. Even more despicably, the NEA dispersed more than $55 million in benefits to union officers. That’s almost twice as much as it spent advocating for the teachers from whose paychecks the dues were confiscated