Our union president would like to talk to me about resigning from the union. I emailed him today and asked him to set a time. It's time to just get this over with.
If I could remain a full member of my local union, and not be a member of CTA or NEA, I would. But apparently, since I'm not willing to play with my local union's friends, my local union doesn't want to play with me, either. It doesn't say much for the appeal of the unions and their ideals if compulsion is the only way to get and maintain membership.
I think I'm going to take the money I'll get refunded from my union (that portion of my dues that is not considered part of the agency fee) and join the Association of American Educators. It's a professional organization, not a union.
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Hey Darren, I got a phone call today from one of our local public school teachers who is also a super devout Christian. She had seen my letter to the editor in the SD Union regarding Prop 75, and wanted to tell me about an option for 'not being in the union, but getting more of your money back'. She said it was called being a "conscientious (sp) Objector." She said herself and several other local "christian" educators had used this option to avoid union membership. She said info was available via the National Right to Work Org. people.
Keep us posted.
There are such provisions in my contract, but they still require the employee to give an amount equal to full union dues to a charity approved by both the district and the union. Unfortunately, these provisions require religious qualms--I have none, just political qualms. And I won't lie about it.
That's what our local contract says. Folks who go that route don't even get to choose their charity. But then again, what can one expect in a state that compels folks to pay 80-90% of combined dues even if they withdraw from the union?
Me, I'm gonna stay in the union and continue our fight to democratize our corrupt local chapter of CTA here in California's so-called "Imperial" Valley.
There are a number of us teachers who are engaged in this effort to bring this sorry-excuse for an "employees organization" into the 21st century.
We are known locally as the Progressives.
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