EDITORIAL: Idaho HB 98 needed to restrict teachers’ unions’ abuse of taxpayer funds

By Stacy Kinnick. Originally published at The Centre Square.

As a veteran public school educator, I’ve learned a thing or two over my 21 years in the classroom, from classroom management techniques to technology and learning during the COVID pandemic. But one of the most shocking discoveries was learning how the teachers’ union works to undermine my conservative values.

In dozens of Idaho school districts, including Lewiston, teachers are represented by affiliates of the Idaho Education Association (IEA) and the National Education Association (NEA), which the Wall Street Journal has accurately described as “the ideological and institutional vanguard of progressive politics.”

In red-state Idaho, the IEA tries to appear less partisan than the NEA, but it still uses teachers’ dues to support progressive organizations and advocacy; it’s just quieter about it than the NEA.

Before I discovered just how partisan and ideological these organizations are, I was actively involved as both a member and a volunteer building rep. However, when I realized how much of my dues went to the IEA and NEA and how little went to support the local union that does the actual work of union representation, I started digging and found that my values didn’t align with how my dues were being used.

Thankfully, both Idaho law and the First Amendment protect public employees from being forced to join a union, so I was able to cancel my membership.

Unfortunately, the teachers’ unions have designed a playbook to inflate their power and influence by taking advantage of both educators and taxpayers.

In fact, the NEA has a list of priorities for its affiliates to pursue – not things like securing fair pay and benefits for teachers, but getting school districts and taxpayers to subsidize union operations and activism.

House Bill 98, under consideration by state policymakers in Boise, would prohibit many of these union abuses. Unsurprisingly, the IEA opposes the legislation, deriding it as “union-busting.”

But while the union might not appreciate the bill, there’s quite a bit for teachers to like.

Among other things, HB 98 would prevent school districts from handing over teachers’ personal contact information to a union without their consent, a practice that occurs in at least two districts. It would also prevent school districts from forcing teachers to interact with unions or attend union events, as currently happens in about a dozen districts.

Perhaps most importantly, the legislation would give educators more control over their union membership by preventing districts from withholding dues from teachers’ paychecks.

When I was hired in Lewiston three years ago, I was discouraged to learn that I had to sit through a presentation from the union as part of the district’s new employee orientation. The union strongly insinuated that joining was required and that we didn’t need to worry about paying dues since the district would simply withhold the money from our checks.

While I know better now, the lack of information and districts’ role in promoting the union leads many teachers to assume that joining is just something they have to do. IEA membership forms generally don’t indicate the cost of dues, and with the money coming out of their paychecks, it’s easy for teachers to lose track of how much they’re paying.

If districts stopped collecting IEA/NEA dues, educators who truly want to join the union could still sign up for membership through the IEA’s website and arrange to pay dues via automatic credit card payments or bank withdrawals, a system even the IEA describes as “easy” to use.

Lastly, HB 98 would protect taxpayers, too, by requiring unions to reimburse school districts for time teachers spend out of the classroom performing union work or attending union events. I’ve seen firsthand how teachers serving as union officers leave their classrooms to substitutes while they engage in union advocacy and continue to receive their full district salary and benefits. But it’s only fair that unions pay their own way. After all, isn’t that why teachers are asked to pay union dues in the first place?

While the IEA might make a lot of noise, policymakers should recognize that the union doesn’t speak for many, or even most, Idaho teachers and should pass HB 98 into law.

Stacey Kinnick is a teacher in the Lewiston Independent School District No. 1. The views expressed here are hers alone and do not reflect the position of the district.