CTA Doesn't Want Union Members To Know About Their Rights

News Release
National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation
October 25, 2005
Contact: Stefan Gleason 916-844-4265
Justin Hakes 916-844-4264

Cash-Strapped CTA Union Rejects $250,000 Offer to Pay Costs of Notifying All Members of Basic Rights

CTA union brass insist that rank-and-file union members remain in the dark about their limited rights to reclaim compulsory union dues

Sacramento, California (October 25, 2005) - The cash-strapped California Teacher Association (CTA) union will not accept an offer by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation to pay for a $250,000 statewide mailing to all of the union’s members informing them of their constitutional right to cut off the use of their forced union dues to influence the upcoming November special election.

CTA union chief Barbara Kerr did not accept the offer made in an open letter by a group of teacher union members and nonmembers, sent last Thursday and published in Sunday’s Sacramento Bee. In their letter, the teachers demanded that union officials notify all CTA members of how they can refrain from paying for the union hierarchy’s $60 million political campaign by resigning their formal union membership and objecting.

In response to a class action lawsuit filed by teachers with free legal help from Foundation attorneys, CTA officials were forced to send a notice on October 15 to nonmembers informing teachers that they have a right to stop and immediately reclaim the $60 per teacher dues increase earmarked for political electioneering. Nonmembers, including teachers who resign their membership and object, can also reclaim an additional $300 per year that the CTA and its affiliates routinely spend on non-bargaining activities.

The open letter, signed by over two dozen California teachers, asked union officials to cooperate in informing union members of their same limited rights to cut off the use of their forced dues for politics. The proposed mailing would have been processed by a third party mail shop. It required the cooperation of CTA officials who possess the only mailing list of union members.

“Obviously, the union brass intend to keep rank-and-file teachers in the dark about their most basic rights,” said Stefan Gleason, Vice President of National Right to Work Foundation. “Teachers are to serve as blank checks to finance CTA officials’ radical political agenda.”

In court proceedings, CTA controller Carlos Moreno filed a sworn declaration disclosing that CTA officials had already spent all $60 million in anticipated revenues from the three-year compulsory dues increase and that union officials were in negotiations for an additional $40 million credit line. If the union is unable to obtain the additional credit, Moreno stated that a $20 million loan could be recalled and services cut back.

“We recognize that many teachers will not want to subject themselves to your discriminatory policies of denying nonmembers the right to vote on union contracts, as well as access to liability insurance. However, our member colleagues should at least be allowed to make this choice,” the teachers wrote in their letter to Kerr.

Ultimately, the U.S. District court may order the union to notify, at its own expense, union members of their due-process rights. A copy of the open letter can be viewed at www.nrtw.org/california/kerrltr.pdf.

The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, is assisting over 150,000 employees in over 250 cases nationwide. Its web address is www.nrtw.org .