Fearing declining membership and funds pending a Supreme Court case decision to be released next month, teachers’ unions are changing their tactics to maintain political clout and salvage potential losses.
Their new message? Anyone can join the union.
The National Educators Association’s leadership plans to propose a new membership category called “community allies,” open to “any person who demonstrates support in advancing the cause of public education.”
This would expand the possibility of union membership to those never employed in public education, including activists with deep pockets. It is of dubious legality, as unions are created to represent employees in a certain field, not to wield political influence.
Yet, if this plan succeeds, the National Educators Association will be able to solicit these new “members” for PAC donations, a fact that could extend their political reach even further beyond where it is now.
The Supreme Court case that has union leaders worried is Janus v. AFSCME, which challenged the right of government unions to charge employees even when they disagree with the union’s positions. A similar case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, resulted in a 4-4 split at the Supreme Court in 2016.
Today, with the balance of the court shifted and Justice Neil Gorsuch’s recent writings in cases involving business and labor, experts predict that the ruling will favor the plaintiff.
If Janus wins, unions could be crippled. Agency fees — costs to public sector employees who do not join the union but are required to pay for their collective bargaining agreement — would be eliminated.
The National Educators Association plans to slash its budget in September by $50 million in anticipation of the reduction in numbers that could result from this decision.
The National Educators Association’s budget committee predicts that the decision would lead to a loss of 307,000 members from a total of over 3 million members. Beginning to reduce staff, the National Educators Association eliminated 41 positions through buyouts, early retirement, and attrition.
The largest union in the country, the National Educators Association has more than 3 million members and a central office in D.C. that employs more than 500 people, paying an average salary of $123,612 – more than double that of most teachers.
