Teachers Unions

California is an "agency shop" state. That means that since the feds have ruled that unions are required to represent me even if I don't want them to, California says that I have to pay my "fair share" to the union for such representation. I must do this even though I refuse to be a CTA or an NEA member. This is a problem.

The feds created the problem by requiring the union to represent me, and California compounds that problem. It would be better merely not to force the union and me to associate at all. Freedom of association, and all that.

Some states are "right to work" states. Unions are still required by the feds to represent all workers if they represent any in an organization, but workers in right to work states are not required to be members or to support the union financially.

Let me state categorically: Every (non-military) American has a right to join a union. Every American has a right not to join a union. Every American should have the right not to support a union financially.

I've said that before on this blog, but it bears repeating. Often. Honestly, I don't understand how any American could legitimately disagree with that sentiment.

The California Teachers Empowerment Network isn't anti-union. It isn't pro-administration. It supports California's teachers, giving them information that will allow each of them to make informed choices which satisfy his or her own conscience.

I have no problem with unions. I have a huge problem with compulsory unionism.

Some might say: You knew about this going into teaching. You consented to it. Deal with it. Actually, I didn't know about it going into teaching, but that's irrelevant. Let me share a story with you.

From about 1821 until the early 1970's, West Point required all cadets to attend chapel services on Sunday morning. Cadets marched to the Catholic Chapel or up the hill to the Cadet Chapel. The stated reason for this requirement was for a cadet's moral and ethical training and character development. Everyone going into West Point knew about this requirement. It's clearly unconstitutional, but that didn't stop its occurrence for over 150 years. It's not until a cadet and some Naval Academy midshipmen filed a case, Anderson v. Laird, that made it all the way to the DC Court of Appeals, that the practice ended.

Honestly, are union supporters so blinded by their own desires that they can't see the injustice of compulsory unionism? Will it take the Supreme Court to fix this problem which the Congress could more easily solve by passing a national right to work law that eliminates the harmful parts of the National Labor Relations Act?

Congress created this problem, Congress should fix it. The Republicans had 14 years to pass a national right to work law and didn't do so. The Democrats would never go against their union overlords in such a way--in fact, the Democrats are trying to make it even easier for unions to move into businesses by getting rid of secret ballots and allowing card checks.

It's about as anti-American as you can get.