Community Corner
Union Right to Work and fees
In Taylor, 3 teachers who were assessed union fees and went to court to have the fees dropped, were told by a judge that the fees were legal, and they must pay them. Is this right?
The teacher's union is only concerned about collecting money, that is obvious by their efforts to make teachers pay something, even though they don't want to be in the teacher's union, or represented by them. The Right to Work law protects that choice, and I am sure, in higher courts, the ruling will be overturned. Look at Paula Herbert's statement summary, president of the Teacher's union, quoted from an article posted in the Macomb Patch.
"Herbart also said teachers are not forced to be members of unions, even under ratified contracts. Those who choose to decline membership are assessed fees, but they also receive representation just like dues-paying members."
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The assessment of fees is wrong. It is the union's choice to provide representation to non-members, not the declining member's choice, and in that scenario, the declining member owes nothing, like refusing a gift. If the gift is forced upon someone, the right to accept or reject gifts, or right to reject union representation is usurped, and that is against the 'Right to Work' law. The union also does not have the right to use automatic withdrawal of dues, and if I were those 3 teachers, I would make sure they are not taking any monies. What can the union do, fire the teachers? Toss them out of the union? That's the idea, freedom of choice on whether to belong, or not.