August is back-to-school month for educators and other staff members in Illinois public schools. It is also typically the “opt-out window” for public school employees to leave their unions and stop paying dues.
Public school employees pay hundreds of dollars each year in union dues. Most of that money doesn’t stay with the local affiliate. Instead, it flows up the chain to the state and national affiliates, which admit spending very little on representing members.
Opting out means employees can keep more money in their paycheck and stop sending money to unions that spend little on representing their needs.
But most teachers unions limit the time to opt out – and stop paying dues – to the month of August.
Here’s how Illinois teachers unions stacked up in 2022
The Illinois Education Association and National Education Association together spent less than 8 cents of every $1 on representing teachers in 2022, according to a report filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. The rest was on politics, overhead and other union leadership priorities.
Meanwhile, IEA and NEA spent a total of over $43 million on political activities and lobbying. NEA spent more on politics than representing teachers, which is the main purpose of a labor union.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers and American Federation of Teachers together spent less than 33 cents of every $1 on representing teachers.
Read more here.
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