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State of the (Teachers) Unions
The Wall Street Journal ^ | December 7, 2006 | Stephen Moore

Posted on 12/07/2006 3:23:11 AM PST by Zakeet

SPOKANE, Wash.--Teachers unions are supposed to promote the financial interests of, well, teachers--but not in Washington state. Here, the Washington Education Association is fighting some 4,000 nonmember teachers who don't want their paychecks raided each year and used for political activities that they don't believe in. "The right of free speech is being trampled" by the union political spending, complains Scott Carlson, a business teacher in Spokane. "And that's a right I hold very precious."

Too bad the unions don't. The WEA derisively refers to teachers like Mr. Carlson who want their money back not as free-speech advocates but "dissidents." The goal is to squash these dissidents by overturning Initiative 134, a law--approved by 72% of Washington voters in 1992--that requires unions to obtain written approval from teachers before dues are spent on campaigns or candidates. Back in March, the unions got a surprising assist from the state Supreme Court, which ruled that the paycheck protection law places "too heavy" a burden on the free-speech rights of the union.

The case has now been bumped up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which will hear oral arguments in January--in what could be the most important First Amendment decision in years.

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: eff; teachers; union; unions; washington; wea
The article goes on to tell in some length about how the nice union sued the evil dissident teachers who wanted some say in how their dues were spent on political campaigns. The excerpt doesn't do it justice.
1 posted on 12/07/2006 3:23:14 AM PST by Zakeet
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To: Zakeet

ame thing happens here in Florida with the Florida Bar Association.
Led by liberal lawyers they force the members to pay dues and then direct it to liberal causes which infuriates conservative members.


2 posted on 12/07/2006 3:28:13 AM PST by Joe Boucher (an enemy of islam)
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To: Zakeet

"The goal is to squash these dissidents by overturning Initiative 134, a law--approved by 72% of Washington voters in 1992--that requires unions to obtain written approval from teachers before dues are spent on campaigns or candidates."


Not only stealing their first amendment rights but, breaking the law in the process. Shameful!


3 posted on 12/07/2006 5:23:52 AM PST by wolfcreek (Suegna como si vivieras para siempre; vive como si fueses a morir hoy.)
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To: Zakeet

This stinks.


4 posted on 12/07/2006 6:57:36 AM PST by cobaltblu
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To: BADROTOFINGER

WA ping request


5 posted on 12/07/2006 10:03:57 AM PST by sionnsar (?trad-anglican.faithweb.com?|Iran Azadi| 5yst3m 0wn3d - it's N0t Y0ur5 (SONY) | UN: Useless Nations)
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To: Zakeet; mcvey; Republicanprofessor
Nationally, about one-third of union workers voted Republican in recent elections, but more than 90% of the union campaign cash that is forcibly extracted from their checks goes to help elect Democrats...In the year before Prop. 134 was enacted in Washington, 48,000 teachers made "voluntary" contributions, but in the last election cycle that number dwindled to 4,537...In Colorado and Utah, similar rules requiring unions to get affirmative consent from members for political activities led to a 70% to 90% reduction in dues collections.

So much for the argument that most teachers are leftists and support the leftist political agenda?

Most teachers I know who belong to unions do so because until recently, it was the only way to get professional liability insurance in our state.

6 posted on 12/07/2006 3:09:15 PM PST by Amelia (If we hire them, they will come...)
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To: Zakeet; Maynerd; Bobsvainbabblings; moneypenny; Kaylee Frye; Clintonfatigued; wallcrawlr; Lucky2; ..

WA Ping List...JFK


7 posted on 12/09/2006 10:25:52 AM PST by BADROTOFINGER (Life sucks. Get a helmet.)
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