Posts tagged public school employees

    Vinnie Vernuccio: Labor reform finally has congressional momentum

    September 30, 2026 // Those reforms will take time to pass, whereas ending racist or sexually harassing language in unionization campaigns should be easy to get across the finish line soon. Clearly, Congress is capable of rallying behind pro-worker labor reforms. The House’s bipartisan passage of the Ending Predator Access to Union Power Act proves it, and hopefully it will clear the Senate soon.

    Duval teachers union faces fight for survival after missing 60% membership threshold

    September 17, 2026 // The union recruited more than 640 new members between July 30 and September 9 in an effort to reach the threshold. Despite that push, the union did not secure enough members to avoid an election. Now, union leaders are focused on making sure enough employees participate in the vote to preserve DTU as the collective bargaining agent for Duval County Public Schools employees. Sep 16 Duval teachers union faces fight for survival after missing 60% membership threshold.

    Special Feature: How Public Employee Unions Built California’s Most Powerful Political Machine

    July 13, 2026 // In California, public employee unions are often among the most influential organizations helping determine who becomes governor, mayor, county supervisor or school board trustee. They endorse candidates. They contribute millions of dollars to campaigns and independent expenditures. They provide campaign volunteers, voter outreach, mail programs, and political infrastructure that many candidates could not easily replace. By the time contract negotiations begin, the relationship between labor and management has often existed for months or years. That does not mean elected officials simply surrender to union demands. Many negotiate in good faith and work hard to protect taxpayers while fairly compensating public employees. But in government, the officials responsible for approving compensation packages are frequently supported by the same organizations representing the employees who will benefit from those agreements.

    New Bill Would Allow Virginia Public Workers to Unionize

    February 11, 2026 // The legislation was previously vetoed by former Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. He argued the bill would impede the government’s ability to provide critical services and cost taxpayers millions each year.

    Teachers Union Anti-Trump Lawfare Cases Have Little Connection to K-12 Public School Education

    December 4, 2025 // The AFT began as exclusively a teachers union but has six separate divisions that also represent other public school employees, such as teacher aides, custodians, and bus drivers, as well as health care workers and higher education faculty. The union’s website says it also represents public employees, including federal and state employees. “The AFT’s lawsuit spree against the Trump administration reveals what we’ve long known: these organizations have strayed far from their mission of representing teachers,” Aaron Withe, president of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a conservative education group, told The Daily Signal. “This is exactly why so many teachers are choosing to opt out—they want representation focused on their profession, not a political action committee.”

    Study shows how Missouri taxpayers are subsidizing teachers’ unions

    March 13, 2025 // While it may not sound controversial, Straka explains the reality is that “union participation in NEOs [new employee orientations] is designed to pressure employees into joining the union, contributing to union political funds, and inculcating pro-union sentiment among employees.” “All of these meetings take place during work hours at the taxpayers’ expense,” he continues. “Missouri lawmakers should ensure that no teacher or public school employee is required by their employer to attend union events, listen to a union sales pitch, or otherwise interact with a union against their will.

    Opinion: Utah is leading the nation by prioritizing worker freedom

    February 21, 2025 // Despite the rhetoric, government unions will still exist in Utah and public employees can still choose to join them. Workers who agree with union spending can support their unions wholeheartedly, while those who do not are free to decline membership and can negotiate their job requirements directly with their employer. The difference now is that these unions will no longer have a monopoly in representing public employees, including Utah public employees who did not want the representation in the first place.

    Myths vs. Facts: Public Workers’ Janus Rights

    November 7, 2024 // ALEC’s model Public Employee Rights and Authorization Act can help states reach full compliance. Its comprehensive reforms reiterate workers rights by ensuring that workers are unambiguously informed of their rights, have ample windows to make membership decisions, and can make labor decisions on an annual basis.

    School employees take union dues case to Ohio Supreme Court

    July 23, 2024 // The appeal wants the Supreme Court to tell the state’s lower courts they have jurisdiction in these cases rather than the State Employment Relations Board. “‘Have your day in court’ is a truism that we learn from a young age,” said Jay R. Carson, senior litigator at The Buckeye Institute. “But if you were a member of a government union – a union still taking money out of your paycheck – getting your day in court is not that easy. This must change, and Darling v. AFSCME presents the Ohio Supreme Court the opportunity to clarify that common pleas courts have jurisdiction to decide private contractual disputes like the ones presented in this case.”