Did you know? . . . Rely on the MEA—It’s Mandatory.
Like many teachers’ unions, the Michigan Education Association relies on force—not voluntarism—for its funding. Under Michigan law, the MEA is allowed to demand that all public school contracts contain a ?compulsory support? clause that enables the MEA to force teachers who want nothing to do with the union to pay dues anyway, in the form of an ?agency fee.? This amounts to nearly $600 per year per public school employee, whether they support the union or not. Equally appalling, wherever the MEA represents some employees, the law provides that it represents all employees. This means that individual teachers may not bargain for their own terms and conditions of employment, but must instead accept whatever deal the MEA makes with the local school board. And you can imagine whose interests come first when the MEA sits down at the bargaining table.
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