Unions don’t like telling their members they have the right to opt out of a portion of their compulsory dues payments. That’s why the Freedom Foundation has dedicated itself to informing union members of their rights when it comes to paying into politics.
Last Wednesday, public school employees in the state of Oregon received an email informing them they were being overcharged for representation by the Oregon Education Association and its affiliates.
The message was simple enough: You don’t have to keep paying into politics if you don’t want to.
School employees were told they could opt out of the political portion of their dues, should they wish to do so, by filling out a form online and submitting it to their union.
Once their forms are processed, those who chose to opt out will receive an annual refund of about $250 to $300 from their dues payments.
The response to the message was immediate. Minutes after the email was sent, dozens of opt-outs began to pour in, and they haven’t slowed down since.
Under Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, public-sector union members are allowed to request a refund for the portion of their dues.
This email is part of a larger campaign to inform union members in of their rights regarding union dues, spreading the word that if they don’t side with their union’s political agenda, they don’t have to pay into it.
Emails have also been sent to SEIU and AFSCME, with record results.
This message of monetary freedom will resonate even stronger once the expected decision for Janus v. AFSCME is released, as public employees will likely be able to cease 100 percent of union dues payments under the ruling. This looms as a massive threat to government unions, which will have to market to keep members, rather than lazily counting on millions of dollars in annual revenue footed by public employees.
Regardless of what government unions may claim, the numbers don’t lie. Unions simply do not represent the best wishes of members from whom dues dollars are being extracted without consent.
If you are a public employee and want to learn more about your rights regarding union dues, you can do so here.
