Read our new booklet for important information about the WEA and your choices
I Choose Charity
Reclaiming control of political
&
ideological union payroll deductions
Contents: |
Read our new booklet for important information about the WEA and your choices
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BACKGROUND ON OPTING OUT OF YOUR UNION Two ways of opting out of the WEA/NEA: As an "agency fee payer" or as a "religious objector" Many teachers express support for their local union but desire to opt out of the state and national unions. However, the union imposes a unified dues structure which does not typically permit supporting the local union without also funding the WEA and NEA. The LawA religious objector is an individual of faith who does not want to belong to the union for reasons of conscience. Under the provisions of state law and similar federal provisions in Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act, if the union’s activities violate your sincere religious beliefs, you may choose to have the equivalent of your union dues sent to a charity rather than the union. RCW 41.59.100 provides that: A collective bargaining agreement may include union security provisions including an agency shop, but not a union or closed shop. If an agency shop provision is agreed to, the employer shall enforce it by deducting from the salary payments to members of the bargaining unit the dues required of membership in the bargaining representative, or, for nonmembers thereof, a fee equivalent to such dues. All union security provisions must safeguard the right of nonassociation of employees based on bona fide religious tenets or teachings of a church or religious body of which such employee is a member. Such employee shall pay an amount of money equivalent to regular dues and fees to a nonreligious charity or to another charitable organization mutually agreed upon by the employee affected and the bargaining representative to which such employee would otherwise pay the dues and fees. The employee shall furnish written proof that such payment has been made. If the employee and the bargaining representative do not reach agreement on such matter, the commission shall designate the charitable organization Bona Fide Religious BeliefIf you have a religious objection
to the Washington Education Association (WEA) and/or National Education
Association (NEA) agendas, you can choose to have your dues or fees sent
to a charity rather than the unions.
If, however, your objection is not motivated by your religious
faith but by some ideological or other philosophical conviction, you may
opt out of the union as an “Agency Fee Payer” and receive a refund of
those dues paid for non-chargeable purposes (usually anything not directly
related to collective bargaining, contract administration and grievance
processing). More information
on this option is available at www.myrefund.org. Past union members have found that
union activities in some of the following areas violated their religious
beliefs: The ProcessTo become a religious objector,
you must write a letter stating that for religious reasons, you object to
paying union dues. This
letter should state that you no longer wish to be a member of the union
and should clearly explain the religious basis of your objection.
Include in your letter the charity(ies) you prefer your dues money
be sent to. As a general rule,
courts do not permit religious objectors’ chosen charities to be religious or labor organizations. See Sample Religious Objector letter Your religious objector letter
should be sent to the president of your local education association.
It might also be helpful to mail a copy to the Washington Education
Association headquarters and your school district payroll office. If the local education association
president denies recognition of your religious objection, the decision may
be appealed to and overruled by the Public
Employment Relations Commission (PERC). The CostThe WEA will withhold
its legal liability insurance coverage from religious objectors.
See WEA’s
message to members considering non-membership.
However, all school districts
should be providing employees with some form of legal liability
protection. It is also
possible to buy legal liability insurance on your own.
Some educators obtain this insurance as part of their membership in
the Association of American
Educators or Christian Educators
Association. As a side note, the union only
pays about $4 per year from a member’s dues for
his or her professional liability insurance policy. Other Resources
If you have additional questions you are welcome to contact us: Evergreen
Freedom Foundation |