Posts tagged Tennessee Education Association
Tennessee Teachers’ Union Drops Lawsuit Demanding Right To Deduct Fees From Paychecks
August 16, 2023 // The law prohibits paycheck deductions and also bumps the minimum salary for a teacher to $50,000 by the 2026-2027 school year. Before the union withdrew its suit, the court said the union's arguments were unlikely to succeed. "We hold that the Plaintiffs are unlikely to succeed on the merits of either claim," the court said. "Plaintiffs have failed to show that the Act substantially impairs either set of contracts implicated by the change in the payroll deduction process." The union originally argued that the law was unconstitutional.
Judges block Tennessee law banning teacher group from deducting member dues from paychecks
July 3, 2023 // The group’s lawsuit contends that combining the two changes into one bill violates a single-subject requirement for legislation under the Tennessee Constitution. The challenge calls for a judge to leave the pay raise in place, but block the deductions ban. The association says the ban will cost the group money and diminish its own revenues, which come entirely from member dues.
Tennessee House Reinstates Critical Paycheck Protection Measure Previously Stripped from House Bill 329, Protecting Teachers’ Hard-Earned Money
April 19, 2023 // The Tennessee Education Association has bylaws that permit them to apply an “assessment” on teachers’ dues for salary increases granted by the state, effectively skimming teachers’ paychecks when they get raises above the cost of living. Because Tennessee has deducted union dues from teachers’ paychecks automatically, unions could in some cases access teachers’ pay increases before they do. Additionally, state resources are used to collect dues, not all of which stay in the Volunteer State or are fully reinvested in teachers and classrooms. Instead, portions of these dues are exported out of state to the National Education Association, which can use these dollars for purposes that can be at odds with Tennessee teachers’ values. We agree with the Tennessee legislature and Governor Lee in believing that this is fundamentally wrong. Not only should the state of Tennessee no longer act as the bills collector for a union to export dues for political purposes outside of the state, but Tennessee should also ensure that teachers have the opportunity to access their hard-earned salary increases first.
Tennessee House Committee Abandons Critical Protections for Teacher Salary Increase
April 12, 2023 // Taxpayers should not be the bills collector for union dues. Unions should collect their own dues and teachers should have the transparency of knowing how much they are paying. Union dues should not simply be another obscure deduction on their paycheck. Worse, teachers’ largest salary increase in Tennessee history could be skimmed by the union. The Tennessee Education Association’s bylaws allow the unions to implement artificial rate hikes for union dues when teachers get raises beyond standard cost of living increases. The unions then use that money to support causes that do not represent Tennessee values. The House Finance, Ways and Means Committee’s failure to safeguard Governor Bill Lee’s vision to get Tennessee teachers and taxpayers out of the business of financing union dues collection is disappointing.
Taxpayer Resources Shouldn’t Be Spent on Union Politics
March 30, 2023 // Members of the Tennessee Education Association must also belong to the National Education Association. Studies show that in 2021, the National Education Association spent nearly $65 million on “political activities and lobbying” – more than double the amount it spent on representational activities. A review of political activities shows that the National Education Association spent its revenue, including Tennessee teachers’ dues, on: Supporting critical race theory Eliminating right-to-work laws Opposing school choice Supporting tax increases The government should not be the bills collector for union dues, especially when those unions are affiliated with national organizations that do not respect Tennessee values. SB 281 and HB 329 would increase minimum teacher pay to $50,000 over four years and end automatic payroll deduction of union dues.
Controversial Provision in TEA Bylaws Allows Union to Skim Teachers’ Pay Raise
March 30, 2023 // “The government should not be the bills collector for union dues,” Vernuccio said, “especially when those unions are affiliated with national organizations that do not respect Tennessee taxpayers’ values.”