6 Reasons to Become a Member Union workers earn 28 percent more than non-union workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (The 15 states with the highest teachers’ salaries are the states with the strongest collective bargaining laws and the highest percentage of union membership. The states with the lowest salaries and lowest membership tend to have no collective bargaining rights). n
As a member, you are entitled to vote on the contracts or other important decisions that can affect your job. You are empowered to have a say on what happens to you in your workplace. n
Your decision to be a fair share payer impacts not only you — it impacts every worker in your district. Full membership increases the power of every school employee working in your school district and the community. n
Your administration knows exactly how many members OEA has. They try to use the percentage of fee payers against all educators during bargaining and this affects our ability to negotiate a better contract for everyone. They also use this fact against us when we meet with them about grievances and other issues that affect our working conditions. n
In light of the current economic climate in our state and in our country, we are facing an uphill battle to retain investment in public education and quality jobs for the middle class. Unions are the best hope for the middle class to fight back and protect their families. n
The poorest states in the US are those in which unions don’t have many members or much power. These are called “Right to Work” states, but what that phrase really means is that workers there have no rights and work for less. n
30
TODAY’S OEA | JUNE 2014
Fair Share Fee Decision Coming Down the Pipe F air share is a commonsense way to protect equity, individual rights, and the pocketbooks of educators. Also known as agency fee, fair share provisions ensure that all educators contribute to the legally required representation and negotiated benefits provided to them by local associations. Fair share does not force individuals to join the union; it simply ensures that all educators contribute to the negotiated benefits and legally required representation that they collectively receive. But, in recent years, fair share has been under attack in the courts and state legislatures by opponents who wish to undermine the rights of working people and erode the strength of our union and other public sector unions. One only needs to look at colleagues in Michigan to see how quickly a state with a strong labor tradition can abandon rights for working people. Whether or not unions will be able to continue collecting fair share fees will be determined in short order through the Harris v. Quinn case, which is now pending before the Supreme Court. Who’s behind Harris v. Quinn? The National Right to Work Committee, an extreme anti-worker group whose funders include billionaires like Charles and David Koch and the Walton family. The National Right to Work Committee has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider and overrule its prior decisions that have allowed publicsector unions to collect agency fees in a manner that is consistent with the First Amendment. Should the Court overrule its prior precedents — which is an outcome that the NEA considers unlikely but within the realm of possibility — it would have immediate consequences for NEA and its affiliates. In Oregon, fair share fees are
Harris v. Quinn — one of the most important labor law cases considered by the Supreme Court in decades — could alter the landscape for union members
approximately 80 percent of standard OEA member dues. If the U.S. Supreme Court declares fair share provisions for public sector employees unconstitutional in Harris v. Quinn, OEA could face an immediate short-term loss of membership, resulting in fewer resources to support critical programs for our members and students. Under fair share, all employees draw the same benefits and protections of the union contract. But, fair share payers miss out on numerous Association full membership benefits, including the strength and influence of a unified Association voice on public policy and workplace issues; access to professional development and opportunities to interact and learn from a global network of educators; legal protections and so much more. Regardless of the Supreme Court’s ruling, OEA will continue to advocate for the rights of school employees and for the schools our students deserve. We are confident in our ability to remain a strong voice for workers and the future of public education in Oregon. No court case is going to stand in the way of educators coming together to have a strong voice for the schools our students deserve. Today, we are more resolute than ever: joining together through a union is the best way for educators to ensure quality teaching and learning conditions. n