… “August Window” is illegal, the MEA should not file future collections … Commission essentially said that the MEA illegally chose power over principles, … resigned outside of August.” The MEA will likely appeal the case. … employees represented by the MEA who desire to opt out may still want to send the MEA an opt-out letter in August …
… Association’s new president, Paula Herbart: The MEA wrote: “In Utica, where teachers are working without … $7,214 per student this year, not $7,845. The MEA wrote: “Grand Rapids school employees questioned … are 294. That’s not “exponential growth.” The MEA wrote: “It [charter schools] also leads to stagnant …
… Cook's comment is a reference to the private, for-profit companies that manage charter public schools. Cook made $212,848 in 2013 as president of the MEA, a private organization with annual revenues of $133 million.
… Mackinac Center’s favor. The MEA and its affiliate must pay $200,000 … 501(c)(5) nonprofits like the MEA or 501(c)(9) nonprofits like … anyway. In April 2020, the MEA and MESSA both applied for PPP funding. The MEA received $6.4 million while … its action because when the MEA and MESSA took the funds, that …
… hear an appeal related to the MEA’s attempt to reinstate its “August … limitation was illegal. “The MEA’s efforts to limit school employees’ … case. “Unfortunately, the MEA’s campaign has caused significant … agency or court because of the MEA’s hardline tactics.” From 2014 to 2016, the MEA received $241,977 from a collections …
… unions and the Michigan Education Association over the refusal by the unions to allow the educators to exercise their worker freedom rights. The MEA's insistence that its bylaws trump Michigan's right-to-work law have also been the subject of recent hearings before a special committee in the Michigan …
… them at the bargaining table. Still, no private organization should have to provide benefits to people who aren’t paying for them. But a look at the MEA’s just-released financial reports shows it is the union that is freeloading off of dues-paying members. According to the organization’s LM-2 form, just …
… union despite promises by the MEA that it will send debt collectors … Policy, said he thinks the MEA could lose as many as 10,000 … Last week, Doug Pratt, the MEA's director of member and political … This comes three months after MEA Executive Director Gretchen … Wright said. Neither Pratt, nor MEA Spokeswoman Nancy Knight responded …
The latest version of Michigan Education Digest is available at https://www.mackinac.org/20378. Topics include how teachers can resign from the MEA, the overspending crisis in the Benton Harbor school district and support for a new charter public school in Jackson.
… Lansing recently. Labor Policy Director F. Vincent Vernuccio discussed the MEA’s so-called “August window” and how teachers can opt out of the union, particularly those who the MEA has sent to collections agencies. Vernuccio also discussed the matter on …
… ruling the August Window illegal. The MEA is expected to appeal this decision … the initial ruling last year, but the MEA appealed. The Michigan Employment Relations … upheld that decision today.… "The MEA should stop trying to ruin teachers' … those who do not want to be part of the MEA," Patrick Wright, director of the Mackinac …
… would probably be more if the MEA had not worked out a scheme … payouts when they retire. The MEA reimburses the school districts … unfunded liability in the MEA’s own retirement system suggests … underfunding. In its annual audit, the MEA said it provides a defined benefit … virtually all of its employees. The MEA also offers a 401(k)-type plan …
… new issue of Michigan Education Digest is now available. Topics include charter public school success, Flint’s self-created overspending crisis and MEA politics.
… losing members. The Michigan Education Association (MEA) had spent those two years erecting obstacles to … annual reports with the federal government, and the MEA’s most recent one was released this week. It reveals … have left the union in the two years since the MEA said it expected no further declines. That’s nearly …
… Compliance and Accountability Committee regarding the MEA’s failure to allow members to resign as per their … she didn’t want me to get into trouble with the MEA,” Amy Breza, a paraeducator from Clarkston, told … behalf of eight public school employees against the MEA.
… filed unfair labor practice complaints against the Michigan Education Association. The clients feel they are being bullied and intimidated by the MEA for attempting to exercise their worker freedom rights.
… inform teachers of their options, the Center has created www.Augustoptout.org, a website that includes testimonials from teachers who have left the MEA and a sample form letter that teachers can use to resign from the union.
… right-to-work, but she wants to explore her First Amendment rights into become in agency fee payer immediately,” MCLF Director Patrick J. Wright said. The MEA’s bylaw forcing members to only resign in August “is trampling all over her freedom of association.”
… school employees union is required to file with the federal Department of Labor. Olson’s investigation of the document found that while the number of MEA members in Michigan is going down, the union is collecting more revenues but spending less time representing its members compared to 2005. The interview …
Michigan Capitol Confidential today looks at claims by MEA President Steven Cook regarding teacher pay. There’s also a case study of teacher benefits and be sure to watch the video of economist Thomas Sowell discussing welfare.
… union. In April 2018, the MEA sued Digneit, claiming she owed … dues or fees. Even so, the MEA and other unions have used various … she sent two letters to the MEA in August 2015 expressing her … Foundation, which responded to the MEA’s lawsuit on behalf of Digneit, … right-to-work law and therefore, the MEA cannot collect union dues for …
… largest government employee union, the MEA teachers union, is expressing shock … which in practical terms means no more MEA.” It’s a good thing the union bosses … collective bargaining ban “means no more MEA” was incomplete. Of course the MEA would be perfectly free to carry on …
… administrative law judge and found the MEA's August window (the policy of … August) illegal. MERC ordered the MEA to begin taking resignations year round, but the MEA filed with the Court of Appeals, … Court of Appeals denied the MEA's request for a stay, meaning that in the MEA's own words, it must accept all …
… labor policy, told WJRT. The MEA claims its bylaws trump state … resign. “We are trying to inform MEA union members any way we can … Schools who opted out of the MEA, sent an email to teachers across … testimonials from other former MEA members about why they chose … the resignation information. MEA President Steve Cook in a YouTube …
… Michigan Education Association (MEA) as their bargaining representative. … said they did not like the MEA's adversarial approach to relations … teacher at the academy. The MEA organized the teachers at Island … that year about joining the MEA. "Their major concern was that … resigned from the school. The MEA had filed an unfair labor practice …
… will not collect dues for them.) The MEA union lawsuit is based on precedent … status as professionals. But the entire MEA lawsuit evaporates if the law were … longer matters. That's not to say that MEA's lawyers won't file another lawsuit, … court eventually, but in one sense the MEA's attorneys have a point: nearly the …
… "I am very thankful that the MEA has finally recognized my right … Arthur is now free from the MEA, told The Press. "This is not … practice complaints against the MEA on behalf of Chanski, Arthur … filed by another teacher, the MEA admitted that about 8,000 teachers … of its "e-dues" system. The MEA also said it has created a policy …
… President for Legal Affairs Patrick Wright was a guest on the “The Frank Beckman Show” of WJR Radio to discuss the Mackinac Center’s investigation of the MEA President Steve Cook’s pension. Steve Cook appears to be earning a taxpayer-funded pension as an “employee” of the Lansing School District, despite …
… even from the president of the MEA, but they stood firm in their … be. For two teachers, the MEA finally recognized their rights … had never heard of before. An MEA official testified under oath … teachers to learn about the MEA’s formerly non-publicized policy … wrong. We’ve seen where the MEA sent a misleading “Nonmember …
Anyone who is particularly surprised by the MEA's decision to file a lawsuit to block implementation … is anything but. As we've explained before, the MEA in particular has benefitted from a labor law that … but hardly the end of the union movement. The MEA, which is used to having its dues money collected …
… familiar with the fees. The MEA is in the red for $159.3 million … plan for its employees. The MEA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The MEA has 117,000 active members and … about $17.5 million. The MEA's retirement liabilities for … contribution, 401(k)-type accounts. The MEA has long fought against closing …
… department inform union members, an MEA spokesman started to answer … looking into allegations that the MEA is not fully complying with … However, getting out of the MEA has proven to be a tricky proposition … the state. According to the MEA, its members can only leave … union in August by informing MEA officials in writing of their …
… in additional disbursements. MEA President Lu Battaglieri received … including travel and a car. The MEA disclosed that it spent nearly … $457 in annual dues to the MEA, plus another $123 to the MEA's parent organization, the National … Grand Rapids Press, "These (MEA) guys plead poverty, and they …
… arrangements — but Corliss, an MEA member, misses the main point … political and very leftish MEA into some sort of free-market, … chase. Which is where the MEA comes in. The MEA has taken a firm position against … prefers to bargain for. The MEA’s position is essentially that …
… Relations Commission against the MEA. He took that step after the MEA and its local affiliate sent … the union anything, so the MEA pursuing me for fees is harassment.” … subject to right-to-work, the MEA and AAEA are trying to force … agreements later, it’s time for the MEA to admit that Ann Arbor teachers …
… right-to-work law to leave the MEA. Now Fairfield is one of a group of teachers MEA President Steve Cook refers … "freeloaders." Although he left the MEA, Fairfield said he gave a financial … he invested heavily in the MEA, but felt the union wasn't always … example, Fairfield said the MEA representative who negotiated …
… 2-to-1 margin to leave the MEA and form their own local union. … they were forced to pay the MEA, and said their new association … Capitol Confidential that the MEA is “a bureaucratic machine that … Grand Haven Tribune that the MEA had "priced themselves out of … reported on the development. The MEA has yet to comment.
… her behalf. Bank is suing the MEA because the union has a "duty … employees to pay annual dues to the MEA, Wright said. "The union has … group of teachers suing the MEA, the union presented a new dues … policy, which outlines how the MEA will use a collection agency … past due in paying. If the MEA sticks to its policy, it will …
… teachers would bolt from the MEA. The reason? He says some don’t … also noted news reports of MEA officials getting hefty raises … their money to East Lansing (MEA headquarters) and not getting … teachers union would replace the MEA, which he said was “a guardian … Association, the parent union of the MEA, is spending their dues on issues …
… 2011 to work full time for the MEA. The school district says it … also been implemented by other MEA officials, but the Republican-controlled … through and the bill died. The MEA did not respond to questions … law went into effect, the MEA’s membership was 113,147. In … 19.9 percent. In 2014, the MEA disputed Michigan Capitol Confidential’s …
… the money they pay in dues. MEA members pay about $635 a year … year for most members. The MEA recently highlighted one benefit, the … to offer that benefit. The MEA revealed the cost last week … coverage has been promoted on the MEA's website and further highlighted in numerous local MEA affiliate newsletters. "That …
… CapCon commentator Jack McHugh wrote, “Our goal is (to) outlaw government collective bargaining in Michigan, which in practical terms means no more MEA.” Despite wariness of public-sector unionization by progressives like President Franklin D. Roosevelt and former AFL-CIO union leader George Meany, …
… past 10 years, the most the MEA has spent on negotiating and … their jobs. One of the ways the MEA has responded to the new law … went into effect in 2013, the MEA and some school districts extended … by the labor organization. MEA officials didn’t respond to … represents 10 percent of the MEA’s total receipts of $124.2 million …
… we had fee payers with the MEA," she said. Bedford believes … many more members under the MEA would have opted out. She believes that over the years the MEA failed to represent the best … spoken to at least one other MEA group in higher education considering … www.AugustOptOut.org Breaking Away From the MEA 'They Are a Bureaucratic Machine …
… according to the Spring 2007 MEA Voice, the newsletter of the … publication’s Letter to Members, the MEA leadership assures readers it … certainly borne out by the MEA’s efforts. The union employs … privatization decisions. The MEA utilized both tactics when Grand … stopping the school board, but the MEA did achieve moderate success …
… supported just months ago. The MEA supported the pension contribution … Bill 1227. On April 23, the MEA released a statement saying … 3 percent contribution, the MEA wrote: "The bill would require … under attack." However, five MEA members objected to the 3 percent … the matter, according to the MEA. The MEA members say the pension …
… representation she had received with the MEA and wanted to exercise her right-to-work freedom. However, when she informed the MEA of her decision, the union told … itself is legal and whether the MEA had a duty to inform her of … before September 2013. The MEA has around 112,000 active members, … and dues structure. “The MEA has a duty of fair representation, …
… But a federal filing at the end of the month told a different story. The MEA currently has 78,817 non-retired/non-trainee members. It had 79,837 such … enrollment dropped from 1,645,742 students in 2008 to 1,437,279 this year. The MEA had 117,265 members in 2012. Membership fell to 78,475 by 2020. The union …
… fiduciary duty to its members, MEA Spokesperson Doug Pratt said, … because they failed to notify the MEA of their intention to leave … August, the only month that the MEA claims it will take resignations. … other unionized employees), the MEA did almost nothing to make its … in the last fiscal year, the MEA collected around $64 million …
… it focuses too much on the MEA. A broad right-to-work law, … The impulse to single out the MEA is understandable; the state's … education, the bill leaves the MEA with an out: shed just enough … happens to be staffed with old MEA people. Access to MESSA-brokered … even one as problematic as the MEA — looks too much like partisan …
MEA committed to defeating privatization Editor’s note: The … of the Spring 2007 issue of MEA Voice. It may be viewed in its … supply classroom teachers. "MEA is committed to helping members … Grand Rapids member of the MEA to the MEA Voice. It was published in the …
… became law in Michigan, the MEA has lost 27,609 dues-paying … Department, released this week. The MEA has experienced steep membership … right-to-work became law. MEA Spokesman Doug Pratt didn’t … email seeking comment. The MEA has 87,628 active members in … that the number of dues-paying MEA members would have fallen further …
… was eligible for a Bridge card. Steve Cook, the MEA’s president, said that a teacher he talked to was … vacation.” Cook’s claim was not the first time an MEA representative has cried poor when discussing teacher’s salaries. Ric Hogerheide, an MEA UniServe director, claimed that first-year teachers …
… Michigan Education Association (MEA) and its president against the … First Amendment” when it quoted MEA President Lu Battaglieri telling … fundraising letter, noting that the MEA is generally at odds with Mackinac … him. The dismissal of the MEA’s lawsuit is seen by First Amendment … embarrassment” when some legislators and MEA staff members learned he had …
… teacher and secretary of the Port Huron Education Association, criticized in an MEA article how teachers are evaluated in the Port Huron Area School District. … positively not," Wollen said. "We are following the law." Neither Murray nor MEA Spokesman Doug Pratt responded to requests for comment. Wollen said 60 teachers …
… effect. Mary McGee-Cullen, a MEA Uniserv Director, sent the Dec. … communications to me as I am their MEA representative.” The teachers' … union representatives that the MEA would allow the contract to … for Public Policy, said the MEA was wrong. “MEA officials worked to keep contract …
… in this video that features MEA employees attesting to how great … collection services was. In it, MEA representatives admit that their … dues collection services, the MEA makes a strong case for why … membership organization, the MEA's main purpose should be representing … experts. So the next time MEA officials argue that there's …
… statement in a letter he sent to MEA local presidents, board members and staff. MEA Spokesman Doug Pratt didn’t … a request for comment. The MEA said if members want to resign, … Commission ruling that supports the MEA's hardline stance. "I don’t … presidents questioned how the MEA was handling the "August only" …
… Cycle” (see image nearby), the MEA cited an open letter from a … In the past several months, MEA President Steve Cook has misrepresented … $8,000 per pupil in 2011. The MEA is citing data lifted from an … adjusted for inflation. The MEA’s chart also cites an AnnArbor.com … 233 teachers.” But what the MEA doesn’t report on the chart …
… federal government show how the MEA is now doubling down on these … credit ratings. In 2014, the MEA reported paying bill collectors … collection agencies $152,554. The MEA didn’t respond to an email seeking … are several reasons why the MEA could be spending more to harass … employees. For years, the MEA only allowed members to stop …
… funding. In the video, "The Truth About Funding," MEA labor economist Ruth Beier repeats the union's inaccurate … about 1,375 students in those three years. "The MEA is well known for only telling part of the story … Funding Up, Results Flat Like a Broken Record, MEA Complains About 'Insufficient Funds' A 'Crisis' …
… pension spiking of the type MEA President Steve Cook used to … lets Cook use his $201,613 MEA salary as the basis for calculating … However, teacher unions, such as MEA and the AFT, would. Nonetheless, the MEA declined to testify at all, … teachers and both members of the MEA,” Lakin told the committee. …
… services to save money. Yet, the MEA contracts out work with non-union … U.S. Department of Labor. The MEA paid a total of $155,623 for … 2012-13, the records show. The MEA paid the companies between $5,500 … companies are not unionized. The MEA did not respond to a request … services. Unfortunately, the MEA has long opposed the practice …
… some to question whether the MEA is trying to create a hostile workplace environment. The MEA 17-B/C union newsletter listed … voted to decertify from the MEA last year, said this was "an … owners and teachers, Day said. MEA President Steve Cook has repeatedly … employees who opt out of the MEA as "freeloaders." The MEA spends …
… bringing attention to public school funding. They claim education funding is down nearly $19 million in the greater Midland area in the last four years. MEA president Steve Cook has claimed that Michigan’s public school budget has been cut by $1 billion. The problem is that these claims are not true. State …
… to September 2012 when the MEA was implementing its e-dues … window. That’s the only month the MEA allows its members to opt-out. … for Public Policy, said the MEA has a legal duty to be fully … that information isn't in the MEA's financial interest,” Wilcox said. “The MEA hasn't been forthcoming, and …
… by the reform. Not surprisingly, the MEA circled the wagons and sent in its … majority of GOP legislators feared the MEA's political power. Nevertheless, the … unfunded liabilities, and save the MEA teachers union from what would have … House GOP on Verge of Surrendering to MEA Study Finds That Teacher Pension Plan …
… 2014 LM-2 disclosure form, the MEA reported over $38 million in … assume that the $38 million MEA listed under ‘All Other Receipts’ … involving members quitting the union, MEA Executive Director Gretchen … about the $33 million that MEA reported on its 2013 report … telephone voice message for MEA spokeswoman Nancy Knight requesting …
… asking members to give the MEA the authority to initiate a … states that on March 11, the MEA board of directors voted unanimously … favor of several actions the MEA would be taking to “ratchet … this vote means. It authorizes MEA to engage in significant activities … read as follows: “Do you give MEA the authority to initiate crisis …
… workers who are employed by the MEA. According to the expiring master agreement between the MEA and the United Staff Organization, … third-party administrator that the MEA often insists school districts … purchase health insurance for the MEA’s teacher members. "I applaud the MEA’s sense of fiscal responsibility," …
… $212,848 in 2013 as president of the MEA, a private organization with annual revenue of $133 million. The MEA, which is the state's largest teachers … with the IRS. Neither Cook, nor an MEA spokeswoman responded to a request for comment. But the MEA is not the only organization in Michigan …
… Michigan Education Association (MEA). Thirty-eight teachers voted … their decision to join the MEA, the state's largest school … considered a proposal to join the MEA in 1997, but they eventually … and frequent opponent of the MEA, shrugged off concerns that … puzzling to most people that the MEA would even want to organize …
… could also use the six-figure MEA salary to generate a higher … the amount they collect in an MEA union salary toward getting … union. Maddox was succeeded as MEA president by Lu Battaglieri … election. Many current and past MEA employees and officials have … have had otherwise. Former MEA President Iris Salters is collecting …
… Districts Across the State Violating Michigan Right-to-Work Law Teachers Sue MEA To Escape Union Union Threatens Hall of Fame Coach With Legal Action For … Teacher Got Plenty of Info About Paying Dues, Nothing About Opting Out of the MEA
In response to reports that MEA is preparing to wage a statewide work stoppage as a protest against … day fine against unions may sound stiff, but for MEA, with its $130 million budget, $5,000 is a pittance, … number of districts would definitely smart, the MEA’s power base — it’s authority as bargaining representative …
… observed this morning: "The MEA’s suit is devoid of merit. The … Supreme Court in 1997." The MEA initiated the lawsuit in 2005 … Circuit Court last December. The MEA has since appealed that dismissal. … communications, commented: "The MEA seems fundamentally unwilling … parents. The weakness of the MEA’s legal arguments is good news …
MEA Voice isn’t a magazine we would normally recommend as reading … not agree. It required the MEA to notify its members of the … inform them that it found the MEA had committed an unfair labor … four Saginaw teachers. The MEA complied with this order in … 2015 edition of its magazine, MEA Voice. The legal battle over …
… received by teachers is comparable to those in the private sector. The MEA’s argument is that, when controlling for education levels, public-sector employees … relative generosity of public vs. private sector compensation. Simply put, the MEA and its cohorts are in the business of maximizing the amount of money transferred …
… (989) 698-1917 MIDLAND — The MEA says August is the only month … membership. Earlier this month, when MEA members who were for the first … sent their opt-out letters to MEA headquarters in August and received a letter from MEA headquarters saying the resignation … was received. However, the MEA letter stated resignation letters …
Members who resign cease paying dues and become "agency fee payers." MEA policy requires that fee payers renew their objections annually in order to receive a fee reduction. Under current law, unions must provide non-member fee payers with a procedure to challenge the amount of their fees to ensure …
… Michigan Education Association’s (MEA) August Window illegal. The MEA conceded that, without the stay, teachers could resign from the MEA at any time, saying: If this … and Matthew Knapp charged the MEA with threatening to turn them … opt out of membership. The MEA failed to inform the teachers …
… November. Membership in the MEA among teachers and education … 2012 to 84,872 in 2018. The MEA’s membership dropped 2,756 members … disclosures. In 2013, former MEA President Steve Cook appeared … PBS political roundtable; the MEA had reported losing just 1,500 … everybody’s worst fear.” The MEA didn’t respond to an email seeking …
… Sept. 30. Dobson, who was an MEA member for seven years, and Harma, who was an MEA member for 18 years, had both … had belonged to a separate MEA bargaining unit, which, the … Harma are bothered by the MEA’s claim their coverage was denied … Tim Keteri for his help. The MEA and its bargaining agent for …
… the right to choose. But the MEA is also upset at the Center’s … performance. Who, exactly, are MEA officials representing when … backgrounds. Who, exactly, are MEA officials representing when … teachers of their rights, the MEA wrote: If [the Mackinac Center … High-performing teachers should ask the MEA the same question. Seniority-based …
… passive-aggressive behavior to stop us from leaving,” said Stawasz. She now feels more strongly about her decision to leave, due to hearing about MEA President Steve Cook’s "pension spiking" arrangement with a local school district that will allow him to collect inflated benefits. Unlike Cook, who …
… 9, 2015, Wisconsin enacted a full right-to-work law that applies not just in government but also to private sector workplaces. AFT-Michigan and the MEA didn’t respond to emails seeking comment.
… evidence?” For example, the MEA has long claimed that school … schools. That data shows the MEA claims to be “blatantly misleading information.” Other false MEA assertions would take more digging. … districts when examining specific MEA claims. The process can take … misleading” claims made by the MEA. For example, CapCon previously …
… Cook, and was then reimbursed by the MEA. The deal will let Cook collect a much … classrooms to pay for lobbyists.” MEA spokesperson Nancy Knight didn't return … seeking comment. ~~~~~ See also: MEA President Inflating Public Pension … Salary While Working for Private Union MEA Union President In Line for Six-Figure …
… Parkinson, who drives for Uber and Shipt on the weekends, according to the MEA. ForTheRecord says: Parkinson made $107,402 in the 2016-17 school year, according to the state of Michigan. The MEA story featured four other teachers who also complained that the state does …
