Posted on 10/14/2014 3:20:44 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Teachers in Wisconsin's public schools have learned a major lesson from the state's landmark 2011 law neutering public sector unions, with more than a third dropping out of their labor organization.
Given no choice but to join and pay dues to the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) for decades, teachers have for the last three years been able to opt out. And that is what tens of thousands have done as a result of Gov. Scott Walker’s Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, also known as Act 10.
“Given the evidence, it shows that the union's hold is softening," Patrick Wright, vice president of legal affairs for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, told FoxNews.com
The bill essentially requires the WEAC to mount a recertification drive every year to ensure that a majority wants its representation. The Act also prevents public sector employers from automatically collecting dues and passing them along to unions. Since June 2011, teacher enrollment in the WEAC has dropped nearly a third from nearly 100,000 members, and the smaller union AFT-Wisconsin has fallen more than half from its peak membership of 16,000.
"As soon as I was given the choice, I left," Amy Rosno, a teacher with the virtual class program at the Waukesha school system, told FoxNews.com. "I never really understood the union anyway."
Rosno said she had a better understanding once she was asked to be a representative for her department and attended her first WEAC meeting.
"I realized that it was all political and not about teaching," she said.
Teachers who spoke to the nonprofit education think tank EAGnews.org said they were glad to be free of the union's grip, especially because of the perception their dues were spent on political contributions.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Teachers speak out on why 1/3 of them have dropped the union since Walker’s Act 10 went into effect.
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
Headline should read, “Wisconsin Teachers Get an Education”
“Given no choice but to join and pay dues to the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) for decades, teachers have for the last three years been able to opt out. And that is what tens of thousands have done...”
So when liberty is introduced, people opt out of tyranny?
Fascinating.
Sounds good to me.
I don’t understand what is “tough” about the new law. It gives the teachers an option they did not have before.
Headline should read: Union enrollment plummets for Wisconsin teachers when union extortion outlawed.
I'm a little shocked she already did not know this?
Maybe she just had her head buried in the sand...
Act 10 is “tough” on the UNIONS. They are losing members right and left. THey’ve had to cut their own cadre of administrators. (booHoo). And they’ve had to rethinnk their health plan.
The Union owned the teachers’ health plan and charged very high fees (which the taxpayers paid because the teachers paid nothing). Once Act 10 came along and allowed school disticts to negotiate those costs and to look at health insurance programs outside the union, guess what?
The Union cut the price of their plans in half.
Public sector employees should not be allowed to form unions.
I have a big problem with health care workers doing it.
The union becomes the driving force. The health and welfare of the public takes a back seat. That shouldn’t be.
I wonder what ever gave them that idea? Their dues used for political purposes? Pshaw! Why, we all know that their dues are used for the children, every last penny to be sure. It's all about the children.
It’s “tough” to rob employees’ pay checks for compulsory ‘rat campaign contributions, when finally outlawed.
That’s a bad thing — why??...............
Exactly. It’s NOT bad, it’s Good, you freaking ‘rat morons.
Yup...the "other" side of the negotiating table is a third party: politicians...
Nobody truly represents the "company" that is the taxpayers...
“Given no choice but to join and pay dues . . ..”
It was my understanding that, pre-
Walker’s Revolution, annual union dues of state classified employees, and presumably of teachers as well, were paid by state clerical workers using state office facilities and funds appropriated for that purpose by the state legislature.
Wow, how can this be? Actual political shenanigans going on in a union? Is this worthy of usual suspect gathering up?
The public sector union and the politico sit across from each other at the table and decide how much of your money they should be paid.
I agree.
Liberals are not pro-choice. They are pro-euphemisms.
At least half of them are in the union’s pocket.
Agreed. And half of the politico are in the union’s pocket.
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