Make Union Membership a Choice

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Right to work states shown here in green, statutorily protect worker freedoms.

Friends and family of mine who have been, and who currently are, teachers do not like the fact that they have to join a union as a condition of their employment. They deserve to have a choice.

Harlan Elrich, a California teacher has joined a 10 person lawsuit against unions that force non-members to pay dues. The case is now in front of the Supreme Court as Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. Elrich writes:

I was a member of the union for years and even served as a union representative. But the union never played an important role in my school. When most teachers sought guidance, they wanted help in the classroom and on how to excel at teaching. The union never offered this pedagogic aid.

Instead, the union focused on politics. I remember a phone call I received before a major election from someone in the union. It was a “survey,” asking teachers whether they would vote for so-and-so if the election were held tomorrow. I disagreed with every issue and candidate the union was promoting. After that conversation, I thought about what the union represents. Eventually, I realized that my dues—about $1,000 a year—went toward ideas and issues that ran counter to my beliefs.

More about the case here from Reason TV: