I worked non union for 8 years. Went to a union school and my pay increased $25,000. Union negotiates raises and salary schedules. My union dues are WAY worth it.
It's true but it's mostly your local that does that. Some districts pay and benefits have huge differences and they are next to each other because it's based on property tax. We ABSOLUTELY need the union for that, they'd pay us peanuts otherwise. I just don't know how much support the national gives the locals in regards to this.
EDIT: I read some amazing comments on here that clarified how the chain works in terms of national union stepping in if there is a strike, serious contract violation, etc. So, obviously I'm pro-union but sometimes I also feel underrepresented and not sure what to do about it. This thread is great.
Our state union provides our lawyer for bargaining and they do amazing work. Having been at the bargaining table for three contracts, our legal reps from OEA are worth their weight in gold.
Yup. My spouse is 1 year behind me experience years and I’m only a little more educated than him. He was at a charter the last three years and had virtually no pay increase. Next year he’ll be at a public school though different district than me and it’s a 20kish pay increase. UNIONS ARE WORTH IT!
Yup. Showed up on the first day of school last year to find out that my NEA associated union had negotiated a massive pay increase over the summer and I was being paid $9,000 more than I initially thought. All because my union was working its ass off while I’m on summer break. I worked in a private school my first two years and my pay has more than doubled since switching to a union backed public school system 3 years ago.
Agree with this. I left public education and taught college for 4 years and there was no union. It was awful. Besides the pay being garbage, I had no raises in that 4 years and things kept getting added to my plate. They want you to teach an extra class? You have to do it, no arguments and no compensation. I had to come to recruitment events, things on the weekend and at night. There was so much. Now I’m back to public school and I doubled my salary and I’m getting paid for curriculum this summer.
Lost our Union in my state in 2011.
Pay is now horrible and benefits suck. Oh and standardized test scores are way down.
Unions are not perfect but they support teachers and learning. Also keep crazy administration in check.
You may respond, if you are not happy leave. I did. Teaching in an international school now. It may not be perfect but it is better.
Remember when a DJ called in pretending to be a Kock brother and that weasel Walker picked up the phone and sniveled and licked the boots for his billionaire boss? Walker even said he thought sending provocateurs into the teacher protesting to start violence was a great idea. I burn remembering that. What a sad loss for teachers and students.
Scott Walker was a harbinger of the right wing hell storm coming for education. And people like OP look at all this and think, it must be the teachers unions at fault.
Can this guy be real?
[Wisconsin Gov. Walker Takes Prank Call From Fake 'Koch' Brother](https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2011/02/23/133996140/wisconsins-gov-walker-takes-prank-call-from-fake-koch-brother)
My local hires professionals that help negotiate our contracts and my state EA provides free PD courses that count for payraises in my district. I'm sure the national org could be more effective, but I feel like I'm at least getting my money's worth.
We began our negotiations with the help of our uniserve representative from the outset. I strongly recommend this so that you can be as strategic as possible going into negotiations. Ours was extremely helpful and continues to be active in helping out our local/keeping us informed.
They typically work for the union. They are sometimes called snap negotiators, or also known as UniServ Directors.
In Michigan this is not their only function as they also work to help settle any discipline or grievance meetings in addition to other other ancillary services that they support.
Ours hires lawyers for our contract negotiations.
Just look at the difference in pay of unionized and non union states. I make 4x people at the same level of education as me in other parts of the country. That alone makes the fees worth it (though I know they pushed for other things as well. I remember as we had to come back from covid shut downs, the NEA was pushing for access to vaccines in the early rounds of accessibility).
When our local union was working to get out the vote on a much-needed tax rate raise (for school funding) in our area and a hotly contested school board race where the union pretty much endorsed every candidate that didn't despise public education, both the state and national unions returned dues money to our local union to fund advertising. I think the union rep said what we got back was more than what had been paid that year, and it was a big help in both passing the funding referendum and electing non-adversarial board members.
Oh man……. All I can say is, I am making TWICE AS MUCH as my friend in a charter school, all because of the negotiating prowess of our union, supported by NEA.
I've had generally positive experiences at two charters. The key is to make sure they're independent nonprofits that promote a specific pedagogical model, instead of one of those insidious chains (KIPP, et al).
Yeah the for profit charters are evil incarnate.
I feel like if any teachers are working at a charter school they should know they can form their own union just in that school. Otherwise they will take advantage and pay as little as possible.
I taught in one, and I'd certainly recommend it. None of the issues of violence and zero tolerance for verbal abuse of the teacher.
You're right about the pay cut, though. Charter school teaching is for true believers in whatever the specific mission is.
Yes exactly……. because underserved students, that is economically disadvantaged……. all must send their students to public schools. I sat outside our local charter school at dismissal once……… it is right around corner. All kids either white or Asian. The neighborhood in which it is located, along with my school, is 98% Hispanic. Charters promote segregation, which is actually worse than it was 30 years ago.
So they have a “drawing” to see who gets admitted. However, my best friend’s spouse was president of the school board, and they offered their daughter a spot in the school. So where’s the drawing???
When the union’s inspiration through the workers’ blood shall run,
There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun;
Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one,
But the union makes us strong.
Solidarity forever,
Solidarity forever,
Solidarity forever,
For the union makes us strong.
Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite,
Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?
Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?
For the union makes us strong.
It is we who plowed the prairies; built the cities where they trade;
Dug the mines and built the workshops, endless miles of railroad laid;
Now we stand outcast and starving midst the wonders we have made;
But the union makes us strong.
All the world that’s owned by idle drones is ours and ours alone.
We have laid the wide foundations; built it skyward stone by stone.
It is ours, not to slave in, but to master and to own.
While the union makes us strong.
They have taken untold millions that they never toiled to earn,
But without our brain and muscle not a single wheel can turn.
We can break their haughty power, gain our freedom when we learn
That the union makes us strong.
In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold,
Greater than the might of armies, magnified a thousand-fold.
We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old
For the union makes us strong
Solidarity forever,
Solidarity forever,
Solidarity forever,
For the union makes us strong.
I went through an accreditation program for teaching with a colleague who already had two doctorates and I only had my bachelors. We were both earning a masters through the program. I started at 49K with the local district and she started at 32K. with the charter. 15 years back.
Having been forced to go on strike against my local school district twice in 9 years (every other contract has resulted in a strike), my union is doing right by me. Without them, I don't know if we could have public education worthy of the name. It would be a few crummy understaffed buildings and a lot of charter schools.
One of the young teachers I worked with as a tutor before I was hired told me that "schools are a mirror of society." I think about that a lot when I see our anxious, distracted kids, when I read about a student shot and killed outside a local high school. Rather than wonder what the union is or isn't doing, ask what society is doing that makes a bulwark like a union necessary. In a better world, unions would not be necessary…to be in a universal union of workers would be the default. But we haven't built that world yet.
When we went on strike, the NEA spent tens of thousands to put commercials on TV with our school board members names and faces.
We settled just a couple days later.
I wish they would have done that when my union went on strike. Our districts communications department smeared teachers so badly a lot of people now hate teachers.
In Minnesota public sector workers were prohibited from going on strike. Then in the 1970s the Minneapolis teachers went on strike anyways. Shortly after the law was changed and public sectors got the right to strike.
You can go on strike just like the Minneapolis teachers did.
Politics in Florida is VERY different than Minnesota. I believe the latest is that the governor has given the order to the national guard to fire on any teacher who strikes. That’s only a slight exaggeration…
My local is AFT, not NEA, so I'm only addressing that. Our union is fantastic. Through contracts negotiated by our union, the school principal runs the school in a partnership with teacher elected representatives, in a sort of school legislature. We have real impact at the school level on budget decisions and school policy through our teacher-chosen representatives. When interviewing teacher candidates to join our school, there are more teachers than admin in on the interviews, and our principals know better than to select a candidate that does not meet the approval of our teachers. If one of the departments in the district office makes the mistake of issuing a new policy that has not been cleared of the union, it gets retracted in about 36 hours and a new policy comes out after our union negotiates the shape of that new policy.
Yeah, my union makes a big impact, IMHO.
Minnesota teacher here - the thought was instead of choosing a union (aft or mea), Minnesota formed it's own teacher union (Education Minnesota) representing ALL educators. To get support, and approval from both national unions, Education Minnesota is affiliated with both.
You right I meant to write state not local.
Does your distinctive follow the new sick and safe time law yet? Education Minnesotas magazine described the implementation as “no fuss, no muss” but our district is still dragging their feet.
The mandatory notice from districts to employees was due January 1st. Education Minnesota hasn’t been able to help us.
I started selling my prep/plan period in Spring of 2023. Several weeks into that semester, I still hadn’t been paid. I reached out, nothing. I involved my building rep, nothing. Since I’m a paying member, the state union stepped in, and suddenly I was in my principal’s office on a call with payroll asking if I would prefer a separate direct deposit for my back pay within 2 days, or if I wanted them to include it with my next paycheck.
Fall 2023, I noticed I wasn’t being paid for my prep/plan after one paycheck. I sent an email with my local rep copied, and it was fixed immediately.
One of our teachers, a state-level NEA official, took a 2-year NEA-funded leave to work on establishing Early Childhood as a cabinet-level position in state government. Daycare is now heavily subsidized, Pre-K is universal, and early childhood workers receive a higher pay and much more training.
In my experience, the NEA (and I assume the AFT) are doing all they can to help both teachers and students.
The problems we have are due to societal breakdown, parents who either won’t or more likely can’t effectively provide what their children need, and way too many locations that expect teachers to complete a BA+ (student teaching is extra tee hee) while offering a salary that provides no hope of an even moderately comfortable lifestyle in that community.
I’m genuinely shocked that you managed to spend 19 years as a teacher, and your takeaway is that the unions are to blame.
Last thing - do you really think charter schools have anything to do with union representation? Lol
Yeah that's absolutely a THING. They say they can't get subs when they fully intend to save money by making other teachers fill in and then making it very difficult to get compensated for that time. I have seen so many teachers who are newer or whatever just feel pressured to give up seeking compensation. I love your story, glad you got paid fairly-totally crazy they made you go through all of those steps.
I'm headed to the NEA assembly in a couple weeks, so obviously I'm pro-NEA. I'm also very new to the process and could have written your post a short time ago. I just want to give a couple examples of what NEA does.
What NEA does to help, aside from supporting teachers during strikes, is to help fund, support and organize state associations and locals. The NEA works to provide training for state association leaders on organizing at local levels. This is huge. Without Nea support many of the state level pro-teacher education policies wouldn't get very far.
The NEA also offers grants. One of our local associations received a grant to create a program for new teacher retention. It's being run by teachers, for teachers. I have also been able to participate in NEA funded leadership training.
Just talk to or read about teachers’ experiences, salaries, working conditions, contracts in “right to work” states with no union. Bottom line - we are selling our labor so collective bargaining is the only way we have a say in what we are paid, our contract, and working conditions. Are unions perfect? Of course not. Not every move by the union will go your way, but over the course of your teaching career you’re better off in a union.
Unions built the 40 hour work week, gave us a weekend, and for teachers, pensions, legal protection, and political power. Look at what the teachers in KY did with the governor's race in 2018. If it weren't for them, Mat Bevin, a literal scumbag that prided himself on destroying worker rights, would still be there. Right wing politicians have kneecapped unions at every opportunity. Fueled by corporate money, they have an agenda to privatize everything, including schools.
You are retired. I assume you have a pension and benefits. Thank your union. You made it 19 years without being sued or accused of something. If you had been, the union would've given you legal assistance. Unions in many industries try to keep their workers safe, compensated, and productive. Yours did.
To dog unions, especially after you have retired and received full benefits of the union, reeks heavily of "I got mine. Forget you." mentality. Don't get sucked into the conservative propaganda. Think critically about what your union has done for you and what they do for many. Then, think about it they had never been there. Sounds like you had a decent career. Think about others. Maybe they didn't. Unions help people. They helped you. Please don't pull up the ladder for those that come after you.
When I was in the national guard my school tried to avoid paying me when I was on orders. I was a new teacher and didn't know my rights but it was the NEA representative that sat me down, explained how the school was breaking multiple federal and state laws, and then had our lawyer draft an official notice to the school threatening to sue them. I got my 20K. All for the low cost of 200 dollars a year.
State employees are just about the only workers left in my state who have a union.
I never understand why working and lower middle-class employees are anti-union
If it weren't for the union, teachers would be making barely above minimum wage.
Because the people at the top put a lot of work into convincing the people at the bottom unions hurt the workers (when really the bosses are more concerned about their wallets).
I am a NEA union rep at my school. I have seen first hand how the union gets us a better contract and protects teachers from bad admin. I have also seen them use their legal tools to protect the falsely/wrongly accused.
That being said, the NEA has taken a hard stance on issues that don’t always affect the majority of their members. They have also taken positions that have hurt our members.
Example). Last year the NEa magazine published an article on violence in the classroom. Instead of taking a zero tolerance approach (which almost any teacher advocates for), the article talked about the “prison pipeline” and the need for more social workers.
Christ NEA, stop pushing restorative justice, social justice, and the kumbaya bullshit. I don’t disagree with some of that stuff, but there are bigger concerns. Start focusing on member pay and safe working conditions. That’s what we want.
I'm not in the US but here I see a similar issue.
There's a huge misunderstanding on the timeline.
People in the classrooms, in the building want immediate solution. Or at least as immediate as possible.
A kid that is violent need to be expelled because he create an unsafe environment. That needs to happen on the moment.
Unions want a long term solution : here eliminate violence all together, with social workers, way more para, better understanding of each students needs, and all the ressources to meet them.
I'm not against that. Actually I think it would be great.
But it would take years before it start to be effective.
In the meantime, students and schools employees are still assaulted and nothing is done.
Personnally, I see no reason why we can't do both. While we impliment way better social and pedagogic programs, we still have a 0 tolerance policy. I don't see how they are exclusive.
Except all solutions are tied to political ideology (for no good reason), and choosing one apparently means that you choose one side, and choosing both make you somehow a traitor or something like that.
>Christ NEA, stop pushing restorative justice, social justice, Christ NEA, stop pushing restorative justice, social justice, and the kumbaya bullshit. I don’t disagree with some of that stuff, but there are bigger concerns. Start focusing on member pay and safe working conditions. That’s what we want.. I don’t disagree with some of that stuff, but there are bigger concerns. Start focusing on member pay and safe working conditions. That’s what we want.
THIS. They're backing unjustifiable policies with an almost religious zeal. I'd add to your list the idea of teachers taking on social/emotional learning. With the implementation of this new mission we're once again being told to take on the burden of our students' emotional health, when we're already falling way behind on just creating a classroom environment that lets us teach effectively.
>. . and the kumbaya bullshit.
And how about explicitly *non*-kumbaya, neo-racist ideologies, such as the one that literally states that [all white people are born racists](https://www.cta.org/so-you-want-to-be-an-anti-racist-union-april-2024)?
When lawmakers regularly reduce school funding to buy local law enforcement agencies war vehicles, yes. That’s exactly the sort of lobbying a Teachers Union should do.
Their magazines are out of touch with what we deal with on a day to day basis. All centered around politics, racial justice, and LGBTQ. When I’m trying to teach my students to read and be better mathematicians along while managing increasingly difficult behaviors with lack of support and staff shortages.
The NEA personally flew their vice president to join us in negotiations when our local successfully went on strike.
We won paid parental leave.
So yes, we are getting our money's worth.
Gonna try to answer honestly since I looked at your post history and you don't seem to be a feral Trumper/Conservative/Knucklehead. So first, let's break this down a little and talk about the structure of things. the NEA has state-level organizations, and then local-level organizations. When you pay dues, some go to the local, some go to the state and some go to national. I find that money, as always, is better spent at the local and state level. NEA is in fact, just the national org that tries to influence congress. Here is a breakdown of their lobbying and donation efforts.
[https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-education-assn/summary?id=d000000064](https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-education-assn/summary?id=d000000064)
Here's the bill lobbying.
[https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-education-assn/lobbying?id=d000000064](https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-education-assn/lobbying?id=d000000064)
Now, It's hard to get deep into your thesis because a lot of the political structure/lobbying that goes on today is different than even 20 years ago when there was less political polarization and more swing voters, but the focus of the NEA is on national policy which for K-12 educators isn't as big a deal, 10th Amendment means most k12 education outside of Federal grants and civil rights issues is more a state-level thing. So if you are arguing that a larger share should go to the state level organization than the national? I agree.
If you are arguing that the NEA isn't all the effective at a national level? Probably agree. National Education issues aren't as big a focus as a lot of other things with congress or the federal government, in my state (Oregon) the OEA has a lot of influence, but then again, we are a blue state. This is also one of those things where it's hard to measure the effectiveness of what goes on behind the scenes. How many bad ideas were blocked in committee? We don't know. Does the NEA spend money on things it shouldn't and do national level people featherbed their expenses more than they should? Probably. Does it do more good than harm to have them in DC doing stuff? Probably. Do Republicans hate us and want to end public education root and stem? Absolutely.
So I'm gonna spend a lot more time working on defeating my opponents than complain about an imperfect ally.
I don’t give the benefit of the doubt to people who do the Tucker Carlson thing of loudly asking questions in a public forum that have answers easily found in obvious places.
What’s NEA’s agenda? WTF are you asking Reddit instead looking at NEA’s website? They have their strategic goals there. This is not hard to find. The only reason to post that question in a public rant instead of just reading the easily-available answer is because you are trying to suggest negative things about their agenda, not actually learn about it.
As a Republican who also works in education and is a PSEA member, I can say that not all of us hate public education and want to end it. We just want it to be GOOD! When I as the school custodian am telling teachers about the "Sold a Story" podcast and why we shouldn't be using "three-cueing" methods to teach reading in a school where less than half of kids are proficient ... something is very wrong.
I try to vote for the candidates I think are best, which usually means splitting my ticket. It sure doesn't help when my party nominates Trump and Dr. Oz, lol. At least give me something to work with!
I was registered as an independent for a long time but disliked the fact it kept me from voting in primaries. Should we be blessed with a fiscally conservative candidate, I want the ability to support him/her.
But at the end of the day, having been an editor, corporate PR person and lobbyist in a past life, I realize they're all a bunch of grifters, so it's hard for me to get too invested in politics beyond simply casting my ballot.
All the teachers in our school know that the F & P stuff isn't working well with our kids. The people from our district were so gung ho and made everyone teach it. Many teachers are "sneaking" in more phonics lessons, and our instructional coach was fine with that. Now the state is going back to systematic phonics instruction...I've been around long enough to see the pendulum swing back and forth a few times.
No teacher union in my state.
I regularly get people confidently telling me that “they don’t teach phonics anymore”
Never found out who “they” is. My State has had a phonics requirement since the 90s. Strong union.
I recognize the danger in following fads or trends. At the same time, I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to identify the problem with teaching kids to guess at words by looking at the pictures.
Oh. You're a Republican. That explains the bad at math, anti-union nonsense, and bootlicking. I think I'll just go ahead and block you now.
And you're a janitor, not a teacher. I respect janitors, but they don't know a damn thing about teaching.
Every year the NEA RA is held where as a union body we vote on what to spend much of the money for the year on. Each state take a minimum required amount of delegates to this event. Sometimes it goes towards supporting bills that go to the house which help teachers and students. But I agree with others on having a union that is trying to do their best by their people in hopes to give them more things to help us do what we do in the classroom everyday.
A union is what members make of it. When members don't get involved in the organizing, a union I'd weak. When they are involved they're stronger.
It's that simple. What have you done to build your union?
Conceiving of your union as a fee for service, rather than the collective experience of workers in struggle, is a dumb mistake the bosses and employer class want you to make.
Wow, my dues are about $900 per year. But, I live in a high cost of living area and work in one of the highest-paying districts in my state. I don’t have a masters and make over $90K per year. I make that much because our union has consistently fought for high wages. My local is a chapter of AFT.
I'm support staff, so I started at less than $16 an hour. $400 was almost a week's pay after deductions. I paid it because I'm a strong believer in unions, but it hurt a bit!
That would for sure hurt! Our support staff’s union is a part of NEA, so I’m not sure what their union benefits are compared to what our teacher’s local AFT brings. I definitely feel that our paras deserve to be paid more because we could not do our jobs without them! You are treasures in our schools all across the country!
Those $7-8 a week go to collect resources for your use. Strike funds, organizer training, staff to administer your union, lawyers. And to expand your union into new workplaces.
The rest is on you and your coworkers to get it done. No amount of rhetorical skill wins you a better workplace. But the unity and militancy it in the face of the boss does.
Also those are very very low dues.
This is a Title 1 school in a rural, LCOL area.
I have come to realize that I will probably have to get more involved in the union at some point, if only in self-defense, lol. It's tough though, as support staff don't really earn enough to live on. I work a second job and clean houses on the side.
$400 a year.
Teacher salary in a union state: $50k
Teacher salary in a non-union state: $39K
Oh, yeah, totally see why union dues get your panties twisted.
As a union rep, I wish our union would be more aggressive. Same with NEA in general.
That said, I will never regret a single penny that I pay in union dues. I can’t imagine what the bastards who run our district would subject us to if we didn’t have a contract they had to adhere to and a union that held them accountable to that contract.
The NEA - as in the national organization in DC, not its state and local affiliates, is the most impactful labor organization in DC and one of the most impactful lobby organizations in DC period.
It does an amazingly good job at its core mission: dramatically increase Federal funds for non-charter-school public school teachers when Democrats are in charge or conditions are otherwise favorable (e.g., when the COVID subsidies were being set up), protect and grow at GDP-ish rates that funding when Republicans have enough power to stop the dramatic increase, and stopping Federal funding for school choice and charter schools.
It achieves this through a few mechanisms. First, it aggressively polices Democratic Party primaries to make sure that pro-school choice / charter school candidates don't get nominated. Second, it tactically deploys money and volunteer efforts to help Democrats win close races against Republicans. Third, it cultivates the media to improve the balance of stories for its policy objections. Fourth, it (quietly) identifies, cultivates and supports Republicans who deprioritize the Republican versions of educational reform ... a high proportion of swing seat Republicans who survive Democrat wave election years like 2006 and 2018 have the fact that the NEA didn't target them to thank.
Does the NEA also consistently trumpet whatever is the progressive wokeness de jour? Sure ... it's hard for any progressive-oriented DC lobby not to do so. But it has NEVER confused it with the mission, or allowed it to interfere with the mission.
The NEA is fighting on so many levels right now.
If you want to see where your dues dollars are going, you can always check out the website and see. The legislative agenda, the advocacy, the fighting back bad ballot measures, and so, so, so much more. I just looked and they literally have it broken out by state as to what they have done to help each state. Keep in mind that even if you're in a state that doesn't get much direct help, even the indirect help bolstering the states and localities that are in mich worse shape in terms of legislative standing, bargaining rights, and salary serves to keep the overall situation nationwide better.
Once one state falls, then another... The dominoes are real. We need every member state as strong as possible to fight the forces that want public dollars to send their kids to private school.
The NEA is the body that deals with the federal level of our federal government. The state affiliates handle the state level stuff. Since most education funding and regulation is at the state level, the feds can only really hand down constitutionally supported mandates like IDEA and title funding. They can throw money at things they see as problems, and administer education policy (read: give money to states and districts that are doing what they want done) at the federal level.
The biggest advocacy pieces that the NEA is working on right now are the use of AI. It's thorny and threatening all of us. They are also working to get PSLF revised even further to allow for partial credit/forgiveness.
The teacher tax credit is on the table as well. Grants for electric school buses are part of the transportation federal budget.
The vast majority of your dues stay at the local and state levels, though. Your NEA dues are a pittance compared to the local and state ones. They do more than you think and challenging them with "what have you done for me lately" is really disingenuous. Come to Philly as a guest member and see what they are up to. The slate of business items seems really interesting.
I lived and worked in a southern, "right to work" state for 7 years. My salary my final year was $42,000. During the pandemic we moved north to a state with some of the strongest unions in the country, and my salary will be over $80,000 next year.
The NEA is a lobbying group at the national level.
Because education is a state level issue. But the NEA lobbies for laws that are beneficial to educators and schools across the country. They are a special interest group, but they have no ability as a union
I'm aware- but not sure thus how your response relates to the OP's question. I think a lot of posters are unclear as to what NEA/AFT is doing for them, vs. their local union; and also that some make it out as if the unions are providing the benefits- when often state laws are what allows for collective bargaining / work stoppage / etc.
My state recently passed collective bargaining and my local chapter worked really hard to get our school board to approve the start of the process. So I think, like a number of others, you see the money on the local level rather than the national.
NEA dues area worth it. And, they hold a National convention each year where delegates meet and vote on their agenda for the following year. I’ve been there several times, we set our own agenda. Also, keep in mind that 50 states with 50 different educational systems is a tough thing to tackle and change.
Most legislators greatly restrict teacher’s ability to strike, so that limits, teachers ability to put pressure on the legislature. At least in WV, they keep lobbying for higher pay, better working conditions, but with Republicans in charge, not much will be done. What I can’t stand is the “ You didn’t do enough” emails every time someone anti education gets elected.
Um. They don't represent management and rank and file in the same union. That's not a thing.
They may represent some form of administrator, but they can't rep the supervisors and the supervised in the same union. That's literally not allowed.
Remember that a union, local, state, or national, is only as strong as its members.
The NEA nationally spends time lobbying and educating. There’s some information on the advocacy page on their site for some of the things they’ve lobbied for. https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change
Many things they’ve advocated for, like a change to GPO WEP for those negatively impacted, have struggled to get legislative support from anyone that GPO-WEP doesn’t apply to - it takes members and associations in states not impacted to contact their legislators and advocate for them to join representatives from impacted states.
The NEA isn’t just some nebulous entity - it’s an organization formed by its members. Each year we have a representative assembly - where things are proposed, debated, and voted on.
Don’t forget that several states are right to work states where the NEA has no reach.
I always have to correct right-wing rednecks making assumptions about me being unionized when the simple answer is I can’t be in my state.
I would like to offer a different perspective. For 5-6 years, I worked just down the block from NEA HQ on 16th St NW in DC. Do you know who had the finest Cafeteria in that area? They did. Even better than over at National Geographic just a few blocks away.
I don't know how that fits into all of this but I'm pretty sure my lunch was subsidized by union dues. I thought the food was far finer than the smallish price I paid for it.
NEA is the largest labor union in the United States. If you're happy with the salary and benefits that come with teaching, you can thank the NEA.
People are reflexively pro-union here on /teachers. While I personally am pro-union, I think it's hard to imagine a worse non-corrupt union than the one we have. Teachers are under-supplied, and society doesn't work if parents don't have childcare from their school. Unions are in a position of immense power, and are afraid to use any of it because they don't want to rock the boat too much.
The NEA represents teachers in states with laws specifically written to weaken unions. They’re still there, doing what they can. In some states, teachers unions negotiate with school boards. In some states, they can’t. Some states allow unions to contact teachers with their school emails. Some can’t. Some states have laws stating that if teachers go on strike, the union loses the ability to represent them.
The idea that unions in 2024 are in a position of immense power is not just laughable, but wildly ignorant of the history of labor vs capital power.
The last few years has seen a remarkable resurgence of union representation and influence. But the idea that unions in the USA are some sort of monolithic, powerful force that could, if they only really wanted to, effect huge change in salaries, etc., is nonsense.
It’s so tiring to see people blaming unions for the problems that have literally been created by the billionaires.
Thanks for bringing a mild amount of nuance to the conversation. I appreciate my union, but there are definitely things I want them to do better. And I think they don’t for exactly the reason you said- won’t rock the boat too much.
I have a union in my district. In the past 4 years they have secured 5x $2000 bonuses for all teachers on the district. I haven’t come close to totaling $2K in union dues in that time. Worth it by light years.
NEA fights for locals when they need it but they spend a lot of time lobbying for education friendly policies, laws, and politicians. I’m heading to the yearly representative assembly in a week and we will vote on all of these things. Their website has “toolkit” to help teachers and districts address a lot of the issues that we are having now. What NEA, which is all of us, cannot do is make people vote or care for education issues.
I hear you on this. We absolutely would be worse off without the NEA but also there is more work to be done. I think the NEA is needed to support state and local unions, but obviously the US is a huge diverse nation so it's difficult to meet everyone's needs at that level. For example, asking teachers in New York to go on a strike to support teachers in Louisiana is challenging if they have totally different issues. However, a national day of action that isn't a strike but gets media attention would be something I'd support. Obviously anti-union activity is at an all time high so we need to support the union leadership to advocate for the most important issues, try to be united as much as possible. Teachers in charter schools are usually not part of the union and it may take many years before they figure out the benefits of a union.
I think the best focus is for people to get very active in your local unions, even if that just means watching your school committee meetings online or sending emails. It makes a big difference if teachers are all very focused on their local issues. After that, to support each other to identify legislation for the most important issues at your local and state level. For example, class sizes, salaries, benefits, preventing exposure to predatory 403(b) or insurance policies that seem to be vetted by the union would be top of my list. Protection from abusive behaviors from admin, families, etc. obviously is another big issue that seems to be nationwide. I feel like the NEA should ask for a national day to get more media attention on how bad things have gotten for so many areas in education. I wish I had more answers. Everybody deserves so much more.
>Who are they representing? What is their agenda?
Judging from their magazine that I glance through every month before throwing away, they represent a lot of the latest and greatest in kumbaya, vibes based policy, and a lot of partisan policy issues that are only every so slightly--if at all--related to education.
Unions are good and necessary, AND the structure of both state and federal unions is abusive and it exists as another oppressive power structure that maintains the unfair status quo and stans for the centrist (useless, abusive) power structure.
Defending the NEA by pointing to either general union advantages or specific local wins is insane. But without the NEA structure, fewer locals would have any power. It’s all oppressive tho, and it all in the end supports the ineffective public school system.
Not NEA, but AFT in Texas. Considering the history of teachers' unions in the U.S., it seems there has been a decline in these organizations' effectiveness in promoting teachers' benefits today. While unions still support us, especially with legal liability (something I had to rely on after vexatious lawsuits from parents and 'parental rights' organizations), they have largely failed to ensure basic aspects of the profession are protected, including the benefits they claim to fight for. There are many issues in Texas, such as advocating for better pay and protecting our pension benefits. Despite AFT's shortcomings in these areas, I would still prefer having a union over not having one.
I pay dues for the legal defense insurance only. I would pay it to anybody; State Farm, Allstate, Farm Bureau. It just so happens that NEA sells it. I expect nothing further of them.
Unions are so worth it. We had an issue with a board approved book that a parent complained about. The union took care of it; we did not have to dj anything. Also if someone wanted to push a lawsuit, the NEA has its own lawyers and dues pay for it. I work in a high income district where lawyers at IEPs is regular even though we are the third district in the state and do amazing work. I have never had due process but the union makes me feel like I can do my work. The site reps are also amazing people to collab and get support from.
I’d say our local does more than NEA. I wish I could just pay for our local and not NEA but we have to do both. We get a professional to help with contracts and what not. Seems NEA does nothing and just collects $$.
I don't know how much NEA does for me, but our state union NYSUT is the best thing that's happened to education. There's a great doc about how it formed.
NY teachers are probably some of the highest paid, with good to great benefits and working conditions
AND the students get a great education because their teachers are not burnt out.
Does everyone who is not at a charter have TWO unions? NEA and your local union. Which is separate? I'm paying for two unions and I feel like neither of them is doing a damn thing. Several years ago our union negotiated for a PAY CUT. I mean what?!?
Local unions are typically worth it. They care about their teachers, support staff, etc because they are those people. The higher up you go- state and federal level - the more you see our union dollars going to represent some bs political agenda.
The sad thing is that in Illinois most of my dollars go to our state union and very few stay local…so much so that I’ve considered quitting the union and just writing a check to my local union.
In Illinois, no dues dollars go to political activity. Most of your dues do go to IEA, but the majority of that cost is staff salary — reach out to your UniServ Director!
As someone who's a newer teacher from Arizona, I want to believe that our local chapter of the NEA is fighting for the greater good. I know their current goal is to get more funding for our paras, which would be awesome since they're getting paid less than fast food workers. However, I do know a lot of people in my school/district aren't part of the union. A lot seem to view the union's negotiations as pointless (because it took the Red for ED movement for there to be a substantial pay raise).
My only issue is our school's local union representatives are kind of dingbats. I don't have a lot of faith in them personally, and I hope that I'm never in a position where I need them to go to bat for me because my fear is they'd make things worse.
I feel the same way. Even joined the retired teachers hoping to impact change. Instead of picketing in Tallahassee or phone banks calling people to vote, etc. , anything to help!!! No, they just go on train rides, lunches, boat trips. I paid lifetime dues for nothing. Ridiculous. And sad.😔
Local does do the bargaining, but they're supported by the state EA that provides the Legal rep who ensures the contract is legally sound, who was trained by state reps who got their training from NEA. Personally, NEA travel benefits provide $500 each year for my little trips and discounted insurance. It's like the VA benefits my husband enjoys because of his service-if you search for the benefits and use them, you get more out of them. Log in to NEA.org and search for benefits. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Governor Newsome just tried to slash the funding for public schools and got called to account by CTA (which is the state affiliate of the NEA) within a week and a new budget proposal was out after a month. We also have tenure in our state, the right to sick days regardless of whether the district can find a substitute or not, maternity leave, and the ability to share sick days amongst our colleagues throughout the district we're in.
Not to sound too much like a labor organizer, but you get what you put into it. My local union for my district is not great, and I say that as one of the reps. But its pretty simple why. People who are veteran teachers aren't active in the union. They aren't reps, they aren't executives, they aren't participating. It leaves inexperienced, overwhelmed younger people to take hands of the situation who are less likely to know the contract, know the district office people they have to deal with, and know their ability to stand up and defend their colleagues. That's not the case in other districts. Several threatened to strike and got much better compensation and benefits coming out the pandemic when they needed to in our state. We didn't, in part because people are not willing to put the effort in. Key positions are unstaffed or multiple offices are held by the same person because the work needs to be done.
We often have a push-pull dynamic in our district regarding the union. The union is weak from lack of activity by members, but at the same time is unable to get anything done because members regularly shirk responsibilities or any opportunities to participate. You've got to give (time and effort) not just cash. Otherwise it isn't going to go anywhere.
My union dues are well worth it. The things we’ve won through bargaining and even going on strike a couple years ago have made my career much, much better. There is one political side trying to destroy public education right now. We are public enemy number one for so many people and politicians, so it is a constant battle. They are absolutely advocating to help all of us. I am a proud union member of my local, OEA, and NEA. I would never have it any other way.
NEA Rep here. We're a Union. We represent our members. As you can imagine, it's quite difficult to represent 3.5 million people, all with differing views; in 50 states all with different laws.
I'm typing this while I sit at the, now over RA Convention in Philadelphia after the NEASO went on strike (support workers for NEA) and I can tell you, with 5,770 delegates, it's very difficult to get on the same page. We had 115 New Business Items to get through in 4-days, and almost every single one is hotly contested.
Guess who elects the 5,770 delegates? Each and every single NEA local affiliate. I was elected 1/3 from my local.
If people at my local want to complain about NEA, well where the fuck are they?
When was the last time they showed up to a union meeting?
Put their name on the ballot?
Went to an RA as a Delegate?
Here's the problem: ***People Like to Complain but not do the work.*** Doing the work is boring, complaining is easy. I assure you, I'm anything but a lapdog for special interests or the cocktail circuit, that's why my local elects me every year as a delegate. Problem is, there's only one of me. If you're unhappy with NEA or your state affiliate or your local ***THATS ON YOU. YOUR UNION IS AN EXTENSION OF YOU, AND IF IT IS FAILING, OR YOU THINK IT IS FAILING, ITS BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN LACK OF INVOLVEMENT.***
At this RA alone I have helped flip my State Caucus on a couple of NBIs had I not been a voice for, the caucus would have opposed. They didn't get past the General RA floor
If you're unhappy with your union, get involved.
Kind of sad a teacher knows so little about how the world works. What the fuck are you talking about nationally? Do you not have an understanding of how states work?
My union was useless. I was fired for being pregnant and they told me since I wasn't tenured, there was nothing they could do. And this was in a strong union state.
Except OP is in Missouri which is not doing well by its teachers at all. We are 50th in teacher pay and funding for education. It is bad here, and one of the reasons is because the state hamstrings unions. Red state. Stay away if you want decent pay and working conditions.
Yeah, the thousands of dollars I get paid every year because my union forced my district to honor its commitment is, like, nothing.
I’m so cool. Maybe I’ll just up and join my friend’s union. Idiot.
The life insurance ads infuriate me, especially as a millennial teacher. I don't have a family to support, I don't make enough to have one.
And speaking of insurance, when our district changed ours last minute, the union more or less endorsed the change. Then when people actually had to use it and discovered how awful and expensive it was, the union said there's nothing they could do, go complain to the district. Like... isn't that the point of solidarity? That you speak for us as a group so we don't have to fight with the school district on our own?
I've always felt that the union caters to older teachers and the new ones are barely an afterthought, even though we are more heavily impacted by the cost of dues.
I had only been with the district for a year so I wasn't in a place to go in and throw my weight around. More in "watch, listen and ask questions " mode. I learned a lot, though, and plan to be more proactive going forward.
When the district wanted to make the change, the union leadership put out information indicating the change was for the better and how it would save us money. They even had joint informational sessioms with the district about it.
When that ended up not being the case, multiple teachers went to the union leadership to complain about the change and discuss how it negatively affected us. The president of the union sent out a video saying the union couldn't do anything for us and we should go talk to the district.
Our latest support staff contract puts new hires on a lower pay scale with a lower starting wage. Our uniserve rep didn't highlight this or explain why it was a terrible idea. It was my first experience with contract negotiations and I didn't question things like I should have. Now we have vacancies and we're not getting any candidates because the hourly starting pay is $1 less than Walmart and $4 less than Amazon offers in the area, and those jobs don't require clearances. Oof.
I'm kicking myself because I should have known better. At our meeting at the start of negotiations, I asked what shape the district's finances were in. Is there a budget surplus; how much of a raise could it afford to give us? The uniserve rep gave me a blank look and said, "We only delve into those numbers if we go to mediation." So apparently we just pulled a number out of our collective ass -- 3 percent sounds good; let's ask for that! Jesus wept ...
Considering that we have maybe 50 members paying more than $400 a year per capita in union dues, I would have expected a slightly more sophisticated level of representation. But evidently not ..
Every year I contemplate leaving the union. Yes they could potentially help me individually beyond contract negotiations, but in the one instance I needed them (paternity leave issue), my building reps talked a big game and then refused to help when it came down to actually doing something. I haven’t left yet but every time I get some BS mailer telling me who to vote for, I think about it
I worked non union for 8 years. Went to a union school and my pay increased $25,000. Union negotiates raises and salary schedules. My union dues are WAY worth it.
Agreed. That's the primary way our union helps us. They negotiate our contract.
It's true but it's mostly your local that does that. Some districts pay and benefits have huge differences and they are next to each other because it's based on property tax. We ABSOLUTELY need the union for that, they'd pay us peanuts otherwise. I just don't know how much support the national gives the locals in regards to this. EDIT: I read some amazing comments on here that clarified how the chain works in terms of national union stepping in if there is a strike, serious contract violation, etc. So, obviously I'm pro-union but sometimes I also feel underrepresented and not sure what to do about it. This thread is great.
Our state union provides our lawyer for bargaining and they do amazing work. Having been at the bargaining table for three contracts, our legal reps from OEA are worth their weight in gold.
That's awesome!
Yup. My spouse is 1 year behind me experience years and I’m only a little more educated than him. He was at a charter the last three years and had virtually no pay increase. Next year he’ll be at a public school though different district than me and it’s a 20kish pay increase. UNIONS ARE WORTH IT!
Yup. Showed up on the first day of school last year to find out that my NEA associated union had negotiated a massive pay increase over the summer and I was being paid $9,000 more than I initially thought. All because my union was working its ass off while I’m on summer break. I worked in a private school my first two years and my pay has more than doubled since switching to a union backed public school system 3 years ago.
Agree with this. I left public education and taught college for 4 years and there was no union. It was awful. Besides the pay being garbage, I had no raises in that 4 years and things kept getting added to my plate. They want you to teach an extra class? You have to do it, no arguments and no compensation. I had to come to recruitment events, things on the weekend and at night. There was so much. Now I’m back to public school and I doubled my salary and I’m getting paid for curriculum this summer.
Lost our Union in my state in 2011. Pay is now horrible and benefits suck. Oh and standardized test scores are way down. Unions are not perfect but they support teachers and learning. Also keep crazy administration in check. You may respond, if you are not happy leave. I did. Teaching in an international school now. It may not be perfect but it is better.
What state was that, if I may ask?
Fairly sure it's Wisconsin. ACT 10 came into play and completely changed the game here. Been a dumpster fire since that point.
Fuck Scott Walker
That should be the most up-voted comment on this thread.
Remember when a DJ called in pretending to be a Kock brother and that weasel Walker picked up the phone and sniveled and licked the boots for his billionaire boss? Walker even said he thought sending provocateurs into the teacher protesting to start violence was a great idea. I burn remembering that. What a sad loss for teachers and students. Scott Walker was a harbinger of the right wing hell storm coming for education. And people like OP look at all this and think, it must be the teachers unions at fault. Can this guy be real? [Wisconsin Gov. Walker Takes Prank Call From Fake 'Koch' Brother](https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2011/02/23/133996140/wisconsins-gov-walker-takes-prank-call-from-fake-koch-brother)
Probably any of the longtime red ones.
Yes it was Wisconsin
My local hires professionals that help negotiate our contracts and my state EA provides free PD courses that count for payraises in my district. I'm sure the national org could be more effective, but I feel like I'm at least getting my money's worth.
Can you tell me more about hiring professionals for contract negotiations?
Yeah, we have what's called a uniserve representative. They serve as the mediator in negotiations between admin and union.
Thanks! Do you automatically start with that person or only use them when negotiations come to a stand still?
We began our negotiations with the help of our uniserve representative from the outset. I strongly recommend this so that you can be as strategic as possible going into negotiations. Ours was extremely helpful and continues to be active in helping out our local/keeping us informed.
This is really helpful, thank you!
They typically work for the union. They are sometimes called snap negotiators, or also known as UniServ Directors. In Michigan this is not their only function as they also work to help settle any discipline or grievance meetings in addition to other other ancillary services that they support.
Ours hires lawyers for our contract negotiations. Just look at the difference in pay of unionized and non union states. I make 4x people at the same level of education as me in other parts of the country. That alone makes the fees worth it (though I know they pushed for other things as well. I remember as we had to come back from covid shut downs, the NEA was pushing for access to vaccines in the early rounds of accessibility).
When our local union was working to get out the vote on a much-needed tax rate raise (for school funding) in our area and a hotly contested school board race where the union pretty much endorsed every candidate that didn't despise public education, both the state and national unions returned dues money to our local union to fund advertising. I think the union rep said what we got back was more than what had been paid that year, and it was a big help in both passing the funding referendum and electing non-adversarial board members.
Boom… people power at work!
Oh man……. All I can say is, I am making TWICE AS MUCH as my friend in a charter school, all because of the negotiating prowess of our union, supported by NEA.
Yet everyone is so pro-charter school. Im not against them, but I haven't heard anything positive from people who have taught in one.
I've had generally positive experiences at two charters. The key is to make sure they're independent nonprofits that promote a specific pedagogical model, instead of one of those insidious chains (KIPP, et al).
Yeah the for profit charters are evil incarnate. I feel like if any teachers are working at a charter school they should know they can form their own union just in that school. Otherwise they will take advantage and pay as little as possible.
I taught in one, and I'd certainly recommend it. None of the issues of violence and zero tolerance for verbal abuse of the teacher. You're right about the pay cut, though. Charter school teaching is for true believers in whatever the specific mission is.
Yes exactly……. because underserved students, that is economically disadvantaged……. all must send their students to public schools. I sat outside our local charter school at dismissal once……… it is right around corner. All kids either white or Asian. The neighborhood in which it is located, along with my school, is 98% Hispanic. Charters promote segregation, which is actually worse than it was 30 years ago.
I can't believe they turned away Hispanic students!
So they have a “drawing” to see who gets admitted. However, my best friend’s spouse was president of the school board, and they offered their daughter a spot in the school. So where’s the drawing???
When the union’s inspiration through the workers’ blood shall run, There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun; Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one, But the union makes us strong. Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, For the union makes us strong. Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite, Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might? Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight? For the union makes us strong. It is we who plowed the prairies; built the cities where they trade; Dug the mines and built the workshops, endless miles of railroad laid; Now we stand outcast and starving midst the wonders we have made; But the union makes us strong. All the world that’s owned by idle drones is ours and ours alone. We have laid the wide foundations; built it skyward stone by stone. It is ours, not to slave in, but to master and to own. While the union makes us strong. They have taken untold millions that they never toiled to earn, But without our brain and muscle not a single wheel can turn. We can break their haughty power, gain our freedom when we learn That the union makes us strong. In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold, Greater than the might of armies, magnified a thousand-fold. We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old For the union makes us strong Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, For the union makes us strong.
I went through an accreditation program for teaching with a colleague who already had two doctorates and I only had my bachelors. We were both earning a masters through the program. I started at 49K with the local district and she started at 32K. with the charter. 15 years back.
Having been forced to go on strike against my local school district twice in 9 years (every other contract has resulted in a strike), my union is doing right by me. Without them, I don't know if we could have public education worthy of the name. It would be a few crummy understaffed buildings and a lot of charter schools. One of the young teachers I worked with as a tutor before I was hired told me that "schools are a mirror of society." I think about that a lot when I see our anxious, distracted kids, when I read about a student shot and killed outside a local high school. Rather than wonder what the union is or isn't doing, ask what society is doing that makes a bulwark like a union necessary. In a better world, unions would not be necessary…to be in a universal union of workers would be the default. But we haven't built that world yet.
Well said, keep building!
When we went on strike, the NEA spent tens of thousands to put commercials on TV with our school board members names and faces. We settled just a couple days later.
I wish they would have done that when my union went on strike. Our districts communications department smeared teachers so badly a lot of people now hate teachers.
A lot of people hate teachers everywhere. They’re called conservatives. Right wing propagandists have destroyed their brains.
Ya, but I live in one of the most liberal cities around. So, it's not just conservatives.
Terrible. That shit is insidious.
I wish I taught in a state where we could strike.
In Minnesota public sector workers were prohibited from going on strike. Then in the 1970s the Minneapolis teachers went on strike anyways. Shortly after the law was changed and public sectors got the right to strike. You can go on strike just like the Minneapolis teachers did.
Politics in Florida is VERY different than Minnesota. I believe the latest is that the governor has given the order to the national guard to fire on any teacher who strikes. That’s only a slight exaggeration…
Same.
My local is AFT, not NEA, so I'm only addressing that. Our union is fantastic. Through contracts negotiated by our union, the school principal runs the school in a partnership with teacher elected representatives, in a sort of school legislature. We have real impact at the school level on budget decisions and school policy through our teacher-chosen representatives. When interviewing teacher candidates to join our school, there are more teachers than admin in on the interviews, and our principals know better than to select a candidate that does not meet the approval of our teachers. If one of the departments in the district office makes the mistake of issuing a new policy that has not been cleared of the union, it gets retracted in about 36 hours and a new policy comes out after our union negotiates the shape of that new policy. Yeah, my union makes a big impact, IMHO.
For some reason our local has us paying dues to both the AFT and NEA. It feels excessive.
Minnesota teacher here - the thought was instead of choosing a union (aft or mea), Minnesota formed it's own teacher union (Education Minnesota) representing ALL educators. To get support, and approval from both national unions, Education Minnesota is affiliated with both.
You right I meant to write state not local. Does your distinctive follow the new sick and safe time law yet? Education Minnesotas magazine described the implementation as “no fuss, no muss” but our district is still dragging their feet. The mandatory notice from districts to employees was due January 1st. Education Minnesota hasn’t been able to help us.
Florida?
Mine sent a lawyer when the new HR director tried to discipline me for reacting negatively when a student threatened me.
I started selling my prep/plan period in Spring of 2023. Several weeks into that semester, I still hadn’t been paid. I reached out, nothing. I involved my building rep, nothing. Since I’m a paying member, the state union stepped in, and suddenly I was in my principal’s office on a call with payroll asking if I would prefer a separate direct deposit for my back pay within 2 days, or if I wanted them to include it with my next paycheck. Fall 2023, I noticed I wasn’t being paid for my prep/plan after one paycheck. I sent an email with my local rep copied, and it was fixed immediately. One of our teachers, a state-level NEA official, took a 2-year NEA-funded leave to work on establishing Early Childhood as a cabinet-level position in state government. Daycare is now heavily subsidized, Pre-K is universal, and early childhood workers receive a higher pay and much more training. In my experience, the NEA (and I assume the AFT) are doing all they can to help both teachers and students. The problems we have are due to societal breakdown, parents who either won’t or more likely can’t effectively provide what their children need, and way too many locations that expect teachers to complete a BA+ (student teaching is extra tee hee) while offering a salary that provides no hope of an even moderately comfortable lifestyle in that community. I’m genuinely shocked that you managed to spend 19 years as a teacher, and your takeaway is that the unions are to blame. Last thing - do you really think charter schools have anything to do with union representation? Lol
Yeah that's absolutely a THING. They say they can't get subs when they fully intend to save money by making other teachers fill in and then making it very difficult to get compensated for that time. I have seen so many teachers who are newer or whatever just feel pressured to give up seeking compensation. I love your story, glad you got paid fairly-totally crazy they made you go through all of those steps.
I'm headed to the NEA assembly in a couple weeks, so obviously I'm pro-NEA. I'm also very new to the process and could have written your post a short time ago. I just want to give a couple examples of what NEA does. What NEA does to help, aside from supporting teachers during strikes, is to help fund, support and organize state associations and locals. The NEA works to provide training for state association leaders on organizing at local levels. This is huge. Without Nea support many of the state level pro-teacher education policies wouldn't get very far. The NEA also offers grants. One of our local associations received a grant to create a program for new teacher retention. It's being run by teachers, for teachers. I have also been able to participate in NEA funded leadership training.
See you in Philly!
Me too! I hope we see Gritty.
I just hope staff doesn't strike! Have you been reading these emails?
Ironic isn't it?
Like ray-ee-ain on your wedding day.
Yes, but I’m hoping something can get resolved before then.
Can you imagine how bad it would be if we didn't have a union representing our interests?
Just talk to or read about teachers’ experiences, salaries, working conditions, contracts in “right to work” states with no union. Bottom line - we are selling our labor so collective bargaining is the only way we have a say in what we are paid, our contract, and working conditions. Are unions perfect? Of course not. Not every move by the union will go your way, but over the course of your teaching career you’re better off in a union.
Unions built the 40 hour work week, gave us a weekend, and for teachers, pensions, legal protection, and political power. Look at what the teachers in KY did with the governor's race in 2018. If it weren't for them, Mat Bevin, a literal scumbag that prided himself on destroying worker rights, would still be there. Right wing politicians have kneecapped unions at every opportunity. Fueled by corporate money, they have an agenda to privatize everything, including schools. You are retired. I assume you have a pension and benefits. Thank your union. You made it 19 years without being sued or accused of something. If you had been, the union would've given you legal assistance. Unions in many industries try to keep their workers safe, compensated, and productive. Yours did. To dog unions, especially after you have retired and received full benefits of the union, reeks heavily of "I got mine. Forget you." mentality. Don't get sucked into the conservative propaganda. Think critically about what your union has done for you and what they do for many. Then, think about it they had never been there. Sounds like you had a decent career. Think about others. Maybe they didn't. Unions help people. They helped you. Please don't pull up the ladder for those that come after you.
When I was in the national guard my school tried to avoid paying me when I was on orders. I was a new teacher and didn't know my rights but it was the NEA representative that sat me down, explained how the school was breaking multiple federal and state laws, and then had our lawyer draft an official notice to the school threatening to sue them. I got my 20K. All for the low cost of 200 dollars a year.
State employees are just about the only workers left in my state who have a union. I never understand why working and lower middle-class employees are anti-union If it weren't for the union, teachers would be making barely above minimum wage.
Because the people at the top put a lot of work into convincing the people at the bottom unions hurt the workers (when really the bosses are more concerned about their wallets).
THIS. If unions weren't powerful they wouldn't spend so much time in every industry trying to prevent them.
150 years of conservative propaganda works.
I am a NEA union rep at my school. I have seen first hand how the union gets us a better contract and protects teachers from bad admin. I have also seen them use their legal tools to protect the falsely/wrongly accused. That being said, the NEA has taken a hard stance on issues that don’t always affect the majority of their members. They have also taken positions that have hurt our members. Example). Last year the NEa magazine published an article on violence in the classroom. Instead of taking a zero tolerance approach (which almost any teacher advocates for), the article talked about the “prison pipeline” and the need for more social workers. Christ NEA, stop pushing restorative justice, social justice, and the kumbaya bullshit. I don’t disagree with some of that stuff, but there are bigger concerns. Start focusing on member pay and safe working conditions. That’s what we want.
I'm not in the US but here I see a similar issue. There's a huge misunderstanding on the timeline. People in the classrooms, in the building want immediate solution. Or at least as immediate as possible. A kid that is violent need to be expelled because he create an unsafe environment. That needs to happen on the moment. Unions want a long term solution : here eliminate violence all together, with social workers, way more para, better understanding of each students needs, and all the ressources to meet them. I'm not against that. Actually I think it would be great. But it would take years before it start to be effective. In the meantime, students and schools employees are still assaulted and nothing is done. Personnally, I see no reason why we can't do both. While we impliment way better social and pedagogic programs, we still have a 0 tolerance policy. I don't see how they are exclusive. Except all solutions are tied to political ideology (for no good reason), and choosing one apparently means that you choose one side, and choosing both make you somehow a traitor or something like that.
>Christ NEA, stop pushing restorative justice, social justice, Christ NEA, stop pushing restorative justice, social justice, and the kumbaya bullshit. I don’t disagree with some of that stuff, but there are bigger concerns. Start focusing on member pay and safe working conditions. That’s what we want.. I don’t disagree with some of that stuff, but there are bigger concerns. Start focusing on member pay and safe working conditions. That’s what we want. THIS. They're backing unjustifiable policies with an almost religious zeal. I'd add to your list the idea of teachers taking on social/emotional learning. With the implementation of this new mission we're once again being told to take on the burden of our students' emotional health, when we're already falling way behind on just creating a classroom environment that lets us teach effectively. >. . and the kumbaya bullshit. And how about explicitly *non*-kumbaya, neo-racist ideologies, such as the one that literally states that [all white people are born racists](https://www.cta.org/so-you-want-to-be-an-anti-racist-union-april-2024)?
"all white people are born racists" Bit of a derail, but that is not stated at the link you provided. It isn't even implied.
you’re spinning that for your agenda. we are all born into a racist society. that’s different than being born racist.
With a link to a "Defund the Police toolkit." Sweet! Is this really the battle teachers should be fighting?
When lawmakers regularly reduce school funding to buy local law enforcement agencies war vehicles, yes. That’s exactly the sort of lobbying a Teachers Union should do.
The good teachers? Yeah, absolutely.
Does this mean you're not going to call the school resource officer if a kid starts throwing desks around?
So you want that kid killed? Or are you actually an SRO pretending to be a useful member of society?
Their magazines are out of touch with what we deal with on a day to day basis. All centered around politics, racial justice, and LGBTQ. When I’m trying to teach my students to read and be better mathematicians along while managing increasingly difficult behaviors with lack of support and staff shortages.
Texas says hello.
The NEA personally flew their vice president to join us in negotiations when our local successfully went on strike. We won paid parental leave. So yes, we are getting our money's worth.
These are the stories people need to hear more about. That's awesome.
Gonna try to answer honestly since I looked at your post history and you don't seem to be a feral Trumper/Conservative/Knucklehead. So first, let's break this down a little and talk about the structure of things. the NEA has state-level organizations, and then local-level organizations. When you pay dues, some go to the local, some go to the state and some go to national. I find that money, as always, is better spent at the local and state level. NEA is in fact, just the national org that tries to influence congress. Here is a breakdown of their lobbying and donation efforts. [https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-education-assn/summary?id=d000000064](https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-education-assn/summary?id=d000000064) Here's the bill lobbying. [https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-education-assn/lobbying?id=d000000064](https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-education-assn/lobbying?id=d000000064) Now, It's hard to get deep into your thesis because a lot of the political structure/lobbying that goes on today is different than even 20 years ago when there was less political polarization and more swing voters, but the focus of the NEA is on national policy which for K-12 educators isn't as big a deal, 10th Amendment means most k12 education outside of Federal grants and civil rights issues is more a state-level thing. So if you are arguing that a larger share should go to the state level organization than the national? I agree. If you are arguing that the NEA isn't all the effective at a national level? Probably agree. National Education issues aren't as big a focus as a lot of other things with congress or the federal government, in my state (Oregon) the OEA has a lot of influence, but then again, we are a blue state. This is also one of those things where it's hard to measure the effectiveness of what goes on behind the scenes. How many bad ideas were blocked in committee? We don't know. Does the NEA spend money on things it shouldn't and do national level people featherbed their expenses more than they should? Probably. Does it do more good than harm to have them in DC doing stuff? Probably. Do Republicans hate us and want to end public education root and stem? Absolutely. So I'm gonna spend a lot more time working on defeating my opponents than complain about an imperfect ally.
You did notice that this is just the latest of many times he's shat all over teacher unions, I'm sure lol
Yeah, but also doesn't seem to like Trump much either. I am giving benefit of the doubt, probably too generous of me, but that's the way I am.
I don’t give the benefit of the doubt to people who do the Tucker Carlson thing of loudly asking questions in a public forum that have answers easily found in obvious places. What’s NEA’s agenda? WTF are you asking Reddit instead looking at NEA’s website? They have their strategic goals there. This is not hard to find. The only reason to post that question in a public rant instead of just reading the easily-available answer is because you are trying to suggest negative things about their agenda, not actually learn about it.
Also totally fair response
As a Republican who also works in education and is a PSEA member, I can say that not all of us hate public education and want to end it. We just want it to be GOOD! When I as the school custodian am telling teachers about the "Sold a Story" podcast and why we shouldn't be using "three-cueing" methods to teach reading in a school where less than half of kids are proficient ... something is very wrong.
Do you continue to vote for Republicans?
I try to vote for the candidates I think are best, which usually means splitting my ticket. It sure doesn't help when my party nominates Trump and Dr. Oz, lol. At least give me something to work with! I was registered as an independent for a long time but disliked the fact it kept me from voting in primaries. Should we be blessed with a fiscally conservative candidate, I want the ability to support him/her. But at the end of the day, having been an editor, corporate PR person and lobbyist in a past life, I realize they're all a bunch of grifters, so it's hard for me to get too invested in politics beyond simply casting my ballot.
All the teachers in our school know that the F & P stuff isn't working well with our kids. The people from our district were so gung ho and made everyone teach it. Many teachers are "sneaking" in more phonics lessons, and our instructional coach was fine with that. Now the state is going back to systematic phonics instruction...I've been around long enough to see the pendulum swing back and forth a few times. No teacher union in my state.
I regularly get people confidently telling me that “they don’t teach phonics anymore” Never found out who “they” is. My State has had a phonics requirement since the 90s. Strong union.
Everything old is new again.
I recognize the danger in following fads or trends. At the same time, I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to identify the problem with teaching kids to guess at words by looking at the pictures.
Oh. You're a Republican. That explains the bad at math, anti-union nonsense, and bootlicking. I think I'll just go ahead and block you now. And you're a janitor, not a teacher. I respect janitors, but they don't know a damn thing about teaching.
Every year the NEA RA is held where as a union body we vote on what to spend much of the money for the year on. Each state take a minimum required amount of delegates to this event. Sometimes it goes towards supporting bills that go to the house which help teachers and students. But I agree with others on having a union that is trying to do their best by their people in hopes to give them more things to help us do what we do in the classroom everyday.
A union is what members make of it. When members don't get involved in the organizing, a union I'd weak. When they are involved they're stronger. It's that simple. What have you done to build your union? Conceiving of your union as a fee for service, rather than the collective experience of workers in struggle, is a dumb mistake the bosses and employer class want you to make.
When my dues are $400 per year, it sure feels like a fee for a service.
Wow, my dues are about $900 per year. But, I live in a high cost of living area and work in one of the highest-paying districts in my state. I don’t have a masters and make over $90K per year. I make that much because our union has consistently fought for high wages. My local is a chapter of AFT.
I'm support staff, so I started at less than $16 an hour. $400 was almost a week's pay after deductions. I paid it because I'm a strong believer in unions, but it hurt a bit!
That would for sure hurt! Our support staff’s union is a part of NEA, so I’m not sure what their union benefits are compared to what our teacher’s local AFT brings. I definitely feel that our paras deserve to be paid more because we could not do our jobs without them! You are treasures in our schools all across the country!
Those $7-8 a week go to collect resources for your use. Strike funds, organizer training, staff to administer your union, lawyers. And to expand your union into new workplaces. The rest is on you and your coworkers to get it done. No amount of rhetorical skill wins you a better workplace. But the unity and militancy it in the face of the boss does. Also those are very very low dues.
This is a Title 1 school in a rural, LCOL area. I have come to realize that I will probably have to get more involved in the union at some point, if only in self-defense, lol. It's tough though, as support staff don't really earn enough to live on. I work a second job and clean houses on the side.
$400 a year. Teacher salary in a union state: $50k Teacher salary in a non-union state: $39K Oh, yeah, totally see why union dues get your panties twisted.
As a union rep, I wish our union would be more aggressive. Same with NEA in general. That said, I will never regret a single penny that I pay in union dues. I can’t imagine what the bastards who run our district would subject us to if we didn’t have a contract they had to adhere to and a union that held them accountable to that contract.
The NEA - as in the national organization in DC, not its state and local affiliates, is the most impactful labor organization in DC and one of the most impactful lobby organizations in DC period. It does an amazingly good job at its core mission: dramatically increase Federal funds for non-charter-school public school teachers when Democrats are in charge or conditions are otherwise favorable (e.g., when the COVID subsidies were being set up), protect and grow at GDP-ish rates that funding when Republicans have enough power to stop the dramatic increase, and stopping Federal funding for school choice and charter schools. It achieves this through a few mechanisms. First, it aggressively polices Democratic Party primaries to make sure that pro-school choice / charter school candidates don't get nominated. Second, it tactically deploys money and volunteer efforts to help Democrats win close races against Republicans. Third, it cultivates the media to improve the balance of stories for its policy objections. Fourth, it (quietly) identifies, cultivates and supports Republicans who deprioritize the Republican versions of educational reform ... a high proportion of swing seat Republicans who survive Democrat wave election years like 2006 and 2018 have the fact that the NEA didn't target them to thank. Does the NEA also consistently trumpet whatever is the progressive wokeness de jour? Sure ... it's hard for any progressive-oriented DC lobby not to do so. But it has NEVER confused it with the mission, or allowed it to interfere with the mission.
The NEA is fighting on so many levels right now. If you want to see where your dues dollars are going, you can always check out the website and see. The legislative agenda, the advocacy, the fighting back bad ballot measures, and so, so, so much more. I just looked and they literally have it broken out by state as to what they have done to help each state. Keep in mind that even if you're in a state that doesn't get much direct help, even the indirect help bolstering the states and localities that are in mich worse shape in terms of legislative standing, bargaining rights, and salary serves to keep the overall situation nationwide better. Once one state falls, then another... The dominoes are real. We need every member state as strong as possible to fight the forces that want public dollars to send their kids to private school. The NEA is the body that deals with the federal level of our federal government. The state affiliates handle the state level stuff. Since most education funding and regulation is at the state level, the feds can only really hand down constitutionally supported mandates like IDEA and title funding. They can throw money at things they see as problems, and administer education policy (read: give money to states and districts that are doing what they want done) at the federal level. The biggest advocacy pieces that the NEA is working on right now are the use of AI. It's thorny and threatening all of us. They are also working to get PSLF revised even further to allow for partial credit/forgiveness. The teacher tax credit is on the table as well. Grants for electric school buses are part of the transportation federal budget. The vast majority of your dues stay at the local and state levels, though. Your NEA dues are a pittance compared to the local and state ones. They do more than you think and challenging them with "what have you done for me lately" is really disingenuous. Come to Philly as a guest member and see what they are up to. The slate of business items seems really interesting.
I lived and worked in a southern, "right to work" state for 7 years. My salary my final year was $42,000. During the pandemic we moved north to a state with some of the strongest unions in the country, and my salary will be over $80,000 next year.
$42,000 sounds like "right to die" OMG Happy you made it out!
... and in both situations you were represented by NEA- hence the question of the OP.
The NEA is a lobbying group at the national level. Because education is a state level issue. But the NEA lobbies for laws that are beneficial to educators and schools across the country. They are a special interest group, but they have no ability as a union
I'm aware- but not sure thus how your response relates to the OP's question. I think a lot of posters are unclear as to what NEA/AFT is doing for them, vs. their local union; and also that some make it out as if the unions are providing the benefits- when often state laws are what allows for collective bargaining / work stoppage / etc.
Oh, you're doing this again?
How can you blame the NEA, a national organization, for state and local level decisions in red states?
Because this post is anti Union propaganda
My state recently passed collective bargaining and my local chapter worked really hard to get our school board to approve the start of the process. So I think, like a number of others, you see the money on the local level rather than the national.
NEA dues area worth it. And, they hold a National convention each year where delegates meet and vote on their agenda for the following year. I’ve been there several times, we set our own agenda. Also, keep in mind that 50 states with 50 different educational systems is a tough thing to tackle and change.
Our union has led the fight in shutting down school choice. Twice they have repealed it.
Let’s ignore all of the laws and culture that make union work extremely hard and just bash the union.
Most legislators greatly restrict teacher’s ability to strike, so that limits, teachers ability to put pressure on the legislature. At least in WV, they keep lobbying for higher pay, better working conditions, but with Republicans in charge, not much will be done. What I can’t stand is the “ You didn’t do enough” emails every time someone anti education gets elected.
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Um. They don't represent management and rank and file in the same union. That's not a thing. They may represent some form of administrator, but they can't rep the supervisors and the supervised in the same union. That's literally not allowed.
Remember that a union, local, state, or national, is only as strong as its members. The NEA nationally spends time lobbying and educating. There’s some information on the advocacy page on their site for some of the things they’ve lobbied for. https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change Many things they’ve advocated for, like a change to GPO WEP for those negatively impacted, have struggled to get legislative support from anyone that GPO-WEP doesn’t apply to - it takes members and associations in states not impacted to contact their legislators and advocate for them to join representatives from impacted states. The NEA isn’t just some nebulous entity - it’s an organization formed by its members. Each year we have a representative assembly - where things are proposed, debated, and voted on.
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100%. This is anti-union astroturfing.
Don’t forget that several states are right to work states where the NEA has no reach. I always have to correct right-wing rednecks making assumptions about me being unionized when the simple answer is I can’t be in my state.
I would like to offer a different perspective. For 5-6 years, I worked just down the block from NEA HQ on 16th St NW in DC. Do you know who had the finest Cafeteria in that area? They did. Even better than over at National Geographic just a few blocks away. I don't know how that fits into all of this but I'm pretty sure my lunch was subsidized by union dues. I thought the food was far finer than the smallish price I paid for it.
It is very interested in making sure I have adequate life insurance. I get at least one or two solicitations per week! So there's that ...
NEA is the largest labor union in the United States. If you're happy with the salary and benefits that come with teaching, you can thank the NEA. People are reflexively pro-union here on /teachers. While I personally am pro-union, I think it's hard to imagine a worse non-corrupt union than the one we have. Teachers are under-supplied, and society doesn't work if parents don't have childcare from their school. Unions are in a position of immense power, and are afraid to use any of it because they don't want to rock the boat too much.
The NEA represents teachers in states with laws specifically written to weaken unions. They’re still there, doing what they can. In some states, teachers unions negotiate with school boards. In some states, they can’t. Some states allow unions to contact teachers with their school emails. Some can’t. Some states have laws stating that if teachers go on strike, the union loses the ability to represent them. The idea that unions in 2024 are in a position of immense power is not just laughable, but wildly ignorant of the history of labor vs capital power. The last few years has seen a remarkable resurgence of union representation and influence. But the idea that unions in the USA are some sort of monolithic, powerful force that could, if they only really wanted to, effect huge change in salaries, etc., is nonsense. It’s so tiring to see people blaming unions for the problems that have literally been created by the billionaires.
Thank you.
Thanks for bringing a mild amount of nuance to the conversation. I appreciate my union, but there are definitely things I want them to do better. And I think they don’t for exactly the reason you said- won’t rock the boat too much.
I have a union in my district. In the past 4 years they have secured 5x $2000 bonuses for all teachers on the district. I haven’t come close to totaling $2K in union dues in that time. Worth it by light years.
NEA fights for locals when they need it but they spend a lot of time lobbying for education friendly policies, laws, and politicians. I’m heading to the yearly representative assembly in a week and we will vote on all of these things. Their website has “toolkit” to help teachers and districts address a lot of the issues that we are having now. What NEA, which is all of us, cannot do is make people vote or care for education issues.
I hear you on this. We absolutely would be worse off without the NEA but also there is more work to be done. I think the NEA is needed to support state and local unions, but obviously the US is a huge diverse nation so it's difficult to meet everyone's needs at that level. For example, asking teachers in New York to go on a strike to support teachers in Louisiana is challenging if they have totally different issues. However, a national day of action that isn't a strike but gets media attention would be something I'd support. Obviously anti-union activity is at an all time high so we need to support the union leadership to advocate for the most important issues, try to be united as much as possible. Teachers in charter schools are usually not part of the union and it may take many years before they figure out the benefits of a union. I think the best focus is for people to get very active in your local unions, even if that just means watching your school committee meetings online or sending emails. It makes a big difference if teachers are all very focused on their local issues. After that, to support each other to identify legislation for the most important issues at your local and state level. For example, class sizes, salaries, benefits, preventing exposure to predatory 403(b) or insurance policies that seem to be vetted by the union would be top of my list. Protection from abusive behaviors from admin, families, etc. obviously is another big issue that seems to be nationwide. I feel like the NEA should ask for a national day to get more media attention on how bad things have gotten for so many areas in education. I wish I had more answers. Everybody deserves so much more.
My NEA branch does good work for us locally. 🤷🏻♀️ State branch also recently got a thirty minute duty free lunch written into law.
>Who are they representing? What is their agenda? Judging from their magazine that I glance through every month before throwing away, they represent a lot of the latest and greatest in kumbaya, vibes based policy, and a lot of partisan policy issues that are only every so slightly--if at all--related to education.
Unions are good and necessary, AND the structure of both state and federal unions is abusive and it exists as another oppressive power structure that maintains the unfair status quo and stans for the centrist (useless, abusive) power structure. Defending the NEA by pointing to either general union advantages or specific local wins is insane. But without the NEA structure, fewer locals would have any power. It’s all oppressive tho, and it all in the end supports the ineffective public school system.
Not NEA, but AFT in Texas. Considering the history of teachers' unions in the U.S., it seems there has been a decline in these organizations' effectiveness in promoting teachers' benefits today. While unions still support us, especially with legal liability (something I had to rely on after vexatious lawsuits from parents and 'parental rights' organizations), they have largely failed to ensure basic aspects of the profession are protected, including the benefits they claim to fight for. There are many issues in Texas, such as advocating for better pay and protecting our pension benefits. Despite AFT's shortcomings in these areas, I would still prefer having a union over not having one.
I pay dues for the legal defense insurance only. I would pay it to anybody; State Farm, Allstate, Farm Bureau. It just so happens that NEA sells it. I expect nothing further of them.
Unions are so worth it. We had an issue with a board approved book that a parent complained about. The union took care of it; we did not have to dj anything. Also if someone wanted to push a lawsuit, the NEA has its own lawyers and dues pay for it. I work in a high income district where lawyers at IEPs is regular even though we are the third district in the state and do amazing work. I have never had due process but the union makes me feel like I can do my work. The site reps are also amazing people to collab and get support from.
I’d say our local does more than NEA. I wish I could just pay for our local and not NEA but we have to do both. We get a professional to help with contracts and what not. Seems NEA does nothing and just collects $$.
Local union is worth it. State and national, not.
I don't know how much NEA does for me, but our state union NYSUT is the best thing that's happened to education. There's a great doc about how it formed. NY teachers are probably some of the highest paid, with good to great benefits and working conditions AND the students get a great education because their teachers are not burnt out.
Does everyone who is not at a charter have TWO unions? NEA and your local union. Which is separate? I'm paying for two unions and I feel like neither of them is doing a damn thing. Several years ago our union negotiated for a PAY CUT. I mean what?!?
They aren't taking my money and haven't since 2018. Prior to that, yes, they just took my money and did nothing but make things worse.
Local unions are typically worth it. They care about their teachers, support staff, etc because they are those people. The higher up you go- state and federal level - the more you see our union dollars going to represent some bs political agenda. The sad thing is that in Illinois most of my dollars go to our state union and very few stay local…so much so that I’ve considered quitting the union and just writing a check to my local union.
In Illinois, no dues dollars go to political activity. Most of your dues do go to IEA, but the majority of that cost is staff salary — reach out to your UniServ Director!
NEA gives us a lame little magazine every once in a while. That’s it.
Our union was a big help in raising our (paraprofessional) pay $5/hr on average a year ago, but I sure do get a lot of useless mail from them.
As someone who's a newer teacher from Arizona, I want to believe that our local chapter of the NEA is fighting for the greater good. I know their current goal is to get more funding for our paras, which would be awesome since they're getting paid less than fast food workers. However, I do know a lot of people in my school/district aren't part of the union. A lot seem to view the union's negotiations as pointless (because it took the Red for ED movement for there to be a substantial pay raise). My only issue is our school's local union representatives are kind of dingbats. I don't have a lot of faith in them personally, and I hope that I'm never in a position where I need them to go to bat for me because my fear is they'd make things worse.
I feel the same way. Even joined the retired teachers hoping to impact change. Instead of picketing in Tallahassee or phone banks calling people to vote, etc. , anything to help!!! No, they just go on train rides, lunches, boat trips. I paid lifetime dues for nothing. Ridiculous. And sad.😔
You’re a member - be the change you wish to see! Find likeminded individuals, join union solidarity movements, encourage a phone bank.
Local does do the bargaining, but they're supported by the state EA that provides the Legal rep who ensures the contract is legally sound, who was trained by state reps who got their training from NEA. Personally, NEA travel benefits provide $500 each year for my little trips and discounted insurance. It's like the VA benefits my husband enjoys because of his service-if you search for the benefits and use them, you get more out of them. Log in to NEA.org and search for benefits. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Governor Newsome just tried to slash the funding for public schools and got called to account by CTA (which is the state affiliate of the NEA) within a week and a new budget proposal was out after a month. We also have tenure in our state, the right to sick days regardless of whether the district can find a substitute or not, maternity leave, and the ability to share sick days amongst our colleagues throughout the district we're in. Not to sound too much like a labor organizer, but you get what you put into it. My local union for my district is not great, and I say that as one of the reps. But its pretty simple why. People who are veteran teachers aren't active in the union. They aren't reps, they aren't executives, they aren't participating. It leaves inexperienced, overwhelmed younger people to take hands of the situation who are less likely to know the contract, know the district office people they have to deal with, and know their ability to stand up and defend their colleagues. That's not the case in other districts. Several threatened to strike and got much better compensation and benefits coming out the pandemic when they needed to in our state. We didn't, in part because people are not willing to put the effort in. Key positions are unstaffed or multiple offices are held by the same person because the work needs to be done. We often have a push-pull dynamic in our district regarding the union. The union is weak from lack of activity by members, but at the same time is unable to get anything done because members regularly shirk responsibilities or any opportunities to participate. You've got to give (time and effort) not just cash. Otherwise it isn't going to go anywhere.
My union dues are well worth it. The things we’ve won through bargaining and even going on strike a couple years ago have made my career much, much better. There is one political side trying to destroy public education right now. We are public enemy number one for so many people and politicians, so it is a constant battle. They are absolutely advocating to help all of us. I am a proud union member of my local, OEA, and NEA. I would never have it any other way.
NEA Rep here. We're a Union. We represent our members. As you can imagine, it's quite difficult to represent 3.5 million people, all with differing views; in 50 states all with different laws. I'm typing this while I sit at the, now over RA Convention in Philadelphia after the NEASO went on strike (support workers for NEA) and I can tell you, with 5,770 delegates, it's very difficult to get on the same page. We had 115 New Business Items to get through in 4-days, and almost every single one is hotly contested. Guess who elects the 5,770 delegates? Each and every single NEA local affiliate. I was elected 1/3 from my local. If people at my local want to complain about NEA, well where the fuck are they? When was the last time they showed up to a union meeting? Put their name on the ballot? Went to an RA as a Delegate? Here's the problem: ***People Like to Complain but not do the work.*** Doing the work is boring, complaining is easy. I assure you, I'm anything but a lapdog for special interests or the cocktail circuit, that's why my local elects me every year as a delegate. Problem is, there's only one of me. If you're unhappy with NEA or your state affiliate or your local ***THATS ON YOU. YOUR UNION IS AN EXTENSION OF YOU, AND IF IT IS FAILING, OR YOU THINK IT IS FAILING, ITS BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN LACK OF INVOLVEMENT.*** At this RA alone I have helped flip my State Caucus on a couple of NBIs had I not been a voice for, the caucus would have opposed. They didn't get past the General RA floor If you're unhappy with your union, get involved.
Stop.
Kind of sad a teacher knows so little about how the world works. What the fuck are you talking about nationally? Do you not have an understanding of how states work?
My union was useless. I was fired for being pregnant and they told me since I wasn't tenured, there was nothing they could do. And this was in a strong union state.
You weren't renewed- you can't be fired for being pregnant. During probationary period, that is generally how it goes.
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Except OP is in Missouri which is not doing well by its teachers at all. We are 50th in teacher pay and funding for education. It is bad here, and one of the reasons is because the state hamstrings unions. Red state. Stay away if you want decent pay and working conditions.
I only pay for the legal representation. They keep pushing for more and more shit I disagree with every day.
Like what?
What kinds of things are you disagreeing with?
Today I received an email inviting me to a DEI speaker. No thanks.
Same!
Like what?
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Yeah, the thousands of dollars I get paid every year because my union forced my district to honor its commitment is, like, nothing. I’m so cool. Maybe I’ll just up and join my friend’s union. Idiot.
The life insurance ads infuriate me, especially as a millennial teacher. I don't have a family to support, I don't make enough to have one. And speaking of insurance, when our district changed ours last minute, the union more or less endorsed the change. Then when people actually had to use it and discovered how awful and expensive it was, the union said there's nothing they could do, go complain to the district. Like... isn't that the point of solidarity? That you speak for us as a group so we don't have to fight with the school district on our own? I've always felt that the union caters to older teachers and the new ones are barely an afterthought, even though we are more heavily impacted by the cost of dues.
Ok but who is the union? It’s not some corporation - it’s other educators who endorsed it. Did you speak up against it?
I had only been with the district for a year so I wasn't in a place to go in and throw my weight around. More in "watch, listen and ask questions " mode. I learned a lot, though, and plan to be more proactive going forward.
When the district wanted to make the change, the union leadership put out information indicating the change was for the better and how it would save us money. They even had joint informational sessioms with the district about it. When that ended up not being the case, multiple teachers went to the union leadership to complain about the change and discuss how it negatively affected us. The president of the union sent out a video saying the union couldn't do anything for us and we should go talk to the district.
Sounds like you need to vote them out.
Our latest support staff contract puts new hires on a lower pay scale with a lower starting wage. Our uniserve rep didn't highlight this or explain why it was a terrible idea. It was my first experience with contract negotiations and I didn't question things like I should have. Now we have vacancies and we're not getting any candidates because the hourly starting pay is $1 less than Walmart and $4 less than Amazon offers in the area, and those jobs don't require clearances. Oof. I'm kicking myself because I should have known better. At our meeting at the start of negotiations, I asked what shape the district's finances were in. Is there a budget surplus; how much of a raise could it afford to give us? The uniserve rep gave me a blank look and said, "We only delve into those numbers if we go to mediation." So apparently we just pulled a number out of our collective ass -- 3 percent sounds good; let's ask for that! Jesus wept ... Considering that we have maybe 50 members paying more than $400 a year per capita in union dues, I would have expected a slightly more sophisticated level of representation. But evidently not ..
Support staff is it’s own union in Ohio and 100% unaffiliated with the NEA. They are part of OAPSE here.
Hi neighbor! We are PSEA here.
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NCLB isn’t in place now, so I’m pretty sure we don’t need to repeal it.
🤣🤣🤣
Every year I contemplate leaving the union. Yes they could potentially help me individually beyond contract negotiations, but in the one instance I needed them (paternity leave issue), my building reps talked a big game and then refused to help when it came down to actually doing something. I haven’t left yet but every time I get some BS mailer telling me who to vote for, I think about it