Posts tagged opt-out
CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION SPENDING ON TEACHERS DOWN, POLITICS UP IN 2023
September 29, 2023 // Just 17% of the money spent by the Chicago Teachers Union in 2023 thus far was spent on representing teachers. Meanwhile, they tripled their political spending since 2022. Teachers unions don't represent students, and now they barely represent teachers.
Commentary: The Sly Economics of Government Union Activism
September 13, 2023 // When presented with the option to relinquish this exclusive representation, thereby freeing themselves from the obligation to represent nonmembers, unions invariably refuse. This reveals a glaring contradiction in their position. On one hand, they lament the “free riders” who benefit from union representation without paying dues. On the other, they zealously guard their monopoly over the public workplace, wanting to represent everyone in a bargaining unit, whether a member or not. The issue transcends mere percentages and numbers; it’s a matter of trust, transparency, and financial autonomy. Unions must reevaluate their approach to membership and adapt to the new legal landscape. The question: Will unions serve their members and charge them accordingly, or maintain their own political agendas by overcharging?
Here’s why the US labor movement is so popular but union membership is dwindling.
September 6, 2023 // Labor laws in the US make it more difficult for employees to form unions: Around 27 states have passed "Right to Work" laws, making it more difficult for workers to unionize. These laws provide union representation to nonunion members in union workplaces– without requiring the payment of union dues. It also gives workers the option to join a union or opt out. Workplace sectors that were traditionally union strongholds, now make up less of the workforce, such as manufacturing, transportation, and construction.
NEA, IEA SPEND LITTLE ON REPRESENTING TEACHERS, BUT PRIORITIZE POLITICS
July 26, 2023 // Illinois teachers concerned about how NEA and IEA spend their hard-earned money have options. They can stop paying dues by opting out of union membership yet maintain all of the raises and other benefits their employers provide. Other professional organizations can provide liability insurance and job protection coverage, often at a fraction of the price of union membership. Less than 8% of NEA and IEA’s combined spending was on representing teachers in 2022 NEA and IEA spent a combined $659 million in 2022, according to the unions’ LM-2s, which are reporting documents the unions filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. $2.5 million to For our Future Action Fund, which claims to “build progressive power” $500,000 to Building Back Together, the organization “advanc[ing] the policy agenda of the Biden-Harris Administration” $450,000 to Strategic Victory Fund, which seeks to build “the infrastructure needed to build long-term progressive agendas and issue advocacy in states” $395,000 to Chicago-based Midwest Academy, a training organization that claims “empowering progressive organizers is our mission” $300,000 to America Votes, the “coordination hub of the progressive community” $270,000 to Democracy Alliance, an organization seeking to “advance progressive policy reforms” $225,000 to State Innovation Exchange, which equips legislators to “move bold, progressive public policy” $150,000 to Progressive Caucus Action Fund, which publishes a “progressive playbook”
National Right to Work Foundation Issues Legal Notice to Yellow Trucking Employees as Teamsters Officials Threaten Strike
July 25, 2023 // All Yellow employees should know they have the right to resign their membership in the Teamsters union and continue to do their jobs. However, because federal law regarding union membership is complex and because union officials often threaten workers who refuse to strike with ruinous fines or other punishments, we recommend you read this entire legal notice before taking action. We also recommend you
Has the Overton Window Shifted on Right-to-Work?
July 6, 2023 // Advocates of repealing right-to-work didn’t have to. They just needed to get enough people with a union label elected to office. The Overton Window has clearly shifted over the past 30 years. It shifted to make right-to-work possible, but it did not shift enough to make its repeal impossible. Both approval and repeal are in the Overton Window now. That’s a major change. But more work is needed to convince people that unionization should rest on the constitutional right to voluntary association, as is the case with most American institutions.
Frank Ricci: Five Years After Janus
June 30, 2023 // Following the decision and decreased national interest, laws meant to obscure union members’ rights have been adopted. As a result, public sector union management across the country has hesitated to inform employees of their rights, fearing they will receive charges from local labor boards. At the state level, unions have used their political clout to ban captive audience meetings where the employer shares their position on a topic and to bar management even from attending union orientation sessions. This allows the unions to utilize so-called “dark patterns” — techniques that lock members into deliberately deceptive contracts designed to deprive them of their rights.
BACKGROUNDER: Employee Rights Act
June 26, 2023 // Sponsored by Rick Allen (R-GA) The Employee Rights Act of 2025 safeguards and strengthens the rights of American workers. It guarantees workers’ right to a secret ballot election, ensures they can work directly with their employer if they opt-out of union membership, protects worker privacy, allows workers to choose to fund union politics or not, provides legal clarity for small business owners and independent contractors, and guarantees fair representation for all American workers.
5 years after Janus ruling, 22% of government employees opt out of unions
June 20, 2023 // “We estimate that union revenue is down $733 million annually, based on the estimated 1.2 million government employees who have resigned or declined union membership,” reports Jarrett Skorup, author of the study.
New Report Shows Large Drop in Union Membership Five Years After Janus Decision
June 16, 2023 // “There is a wide range of opinions about the impact of the Janus decision, with some claiming it would lead to large losses in membership and others saying it would have minimal effect or even rejuvenate organized labor,” said Jarrett Skorup, vice president for marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center and the author of the report. “This research aims to inform this debate. It presents more accurate and comprehensive data than anything out there currently being used to assess Janus’ impact.”