Teachers Sue Union for Censoring Charitable Donations ( Pennsylvania )

Dail Signal ^ | October 04, 2014 | Kelsey Harkness

[george76]

Two teachers have taken Pennsylvania’s largest teachers union to court over its attempt to decide which charities may be supported by teachers as an alternative when they decline to join the union on religious grounds.

The teachers, Chris Meier from Lancaster County and Jane Ladley from Chester County, are required—as a condition of employment—either to be a member of the Pennsylvania State Education Association or pay a nonmember “fair share” fee of $435.

Last spring, PSEA accepted Meier and Ladley’s status as religious objectors. In lieu of paying membership dues, state law instructed the teachers to pay a “fair share” fee to a charity of their choice.

Pennsylvania law stipulates that religious objectors must select a “non-religious charity” that is “agreed upon” by the union, but it does not specify a procedure or deadline for reaching that agreement.

Meier, an Advanced Placement economics and history teacher, chose the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which provides free legal advice and representation to teachers like himself.

But because that foundation represented teachers in unrelated lawsuits against the PSEA, the union told Meier his charity was a “conflict of interest,” and he must choose a different organization.

[SECURE AMERICA]

I thought Pennsylvania was a Right To Work State?

[Beagle8U]

“The teachers, Chris Meier from Lancaster County and Jane Ladley from Chester County, are required—as a condition of employment—either to be a member of the Pennsylvania State Education Association or pay a nonmember “fair share” fee of $435.

Last spring, PSEA accepted Meier and Ladley’s status as religious objectors. In lieu of paying membership dues, state law instructed the teachers to pay a “fair share” fee to a charity of their choice.

Pennsylvania law stipulates that religious objectors must select a “non-religious charity” that is “agreed upon” by the union,...”

Let me see if I got thins right. They are accepted as religious objectors to joining a union, so they have to donate to a non-religious charity that the union has to agree to?

Doesn’t that violate their 1st amendment rights?

[Flavious_Maximus]

Are you kidding? Pennsylvania is the birth place of unions. Haven’t you ever heard of the Molly Maguires? Pennsylvania will be the last “Right To Work” state, if it ever happens.

[KeyLargo]

Union coalition AFL-CIO spends $30 million-plus on politics

By Jason Hart / October 7, 2014

Watchdog.org

Labor union coalition AFL-CIO spent more than $30 million on politics during the past year, shoveling money taken from workers to big-government groups across the country.

AFL-CIO reported “Political Activities” totaling $28 million for its 2014 fiscal year, which ended on June 30. Another $4.8 million in AFL-CIO payments to political nonprofits were reported to the U.S. Department of Labor as “Contributions, Gifts and Grants” or “Representational Activities.”

http://watchdog.org/175345/aflcio-union-politics/