[EDINVA]

Also there should be alternatives to union group premiums for professional insurance. A teacher told me years ago that the ONLY reason he belongs to the union is because of the insurance. If he carried solo, it would be more than his union dues and the insurance premiums through the union combined.

The states should figure out a way to make those insurance rates affordable to teachers. Then it’s absolutely bye bye to the unions. They’ll be left only with teachers whose courses are easily dispensable. I’ve noticed locally that the teachers most engaged with the unions (union reps) are PE teachers, not usually classroom teachers.

[Nevadan]

re: “Also there should be alternatives to union group premiums for professional insurance. A teacher told me years ago that the ONLY reason he belongs to the union is because of the insurance. If he carried solo, it would be more than his union dues and the insurance premiums through the union combined.”

Well, I don’t know what the union dues are in your friend’s state, but in my state, I can get professional liability insurance through Christian Educators of America, Inc. (CEAI) for a fraction of what union dues cost. He is correct about why many teachers join the union - it is simply because of the liability protection.

Also, you can tell your friend that CEAI is non-sectarian. You don’t have to belong to a church or even be a Christian to join. I also believe that there are other sources of professional liability insurance out there as well for fairly lost cost. Some of the teachers in my state said they added their insurance through their homeowners policy.

[Reily]

That's an interesting observation. I remember going back to a high school reunion, a classmate of mine an state teacher's union organizer. He went from so-so high school basketball player to PE teacher back at my old high school (Yes a “Welcome Back Kotter” sort of thing!) to a very few years teacher's union guy. Apparently PE teaching was too challenging!

[Mygirlsmom]

Here in Wisconsin the teacher's union has an extra special racket. They own a health insurance company which charges outrageously high premiums and then through collective bargaining the union forces the school districts to get their insurance through them. The teachers don't care what their premiums cost because they don't pay them.

it's money laundering pure and simple, and without the changes to collective bargaining, they will continue to extract even greater sums than union dues straight from the pockets of the taxpayer.

[newzjunkey]

A teacher told me years ago that the ONLY reason he belongs to the union is because of the insurance. If he carried solo, it would be more than his union dues and the insurance premiums through the union combined.

This is absolutely true. A close family member works for the state and is required to pay dues whether a union member or not—thanks, Rats!

He can insure his whole family of five for $17 in premiums. Identical coverage (copays, drug coverage) with the same provider, for just me alone, with no "collective bargaining power," was over $500 per month last year. I quit rather than pay those scandalous demands.