Educators Can Act Now to Quit Partisan Unions

Nevada educators wanting to escape politically motivated teachers unions have a two-week window to act, beginning today.

Membership in teachers unions is optional in Nevada. Educators are allowed to join teachers unions, but they can also leave if they so choose. However, the July 1-15 window marks the only time during the year that Silver State educators can extricate themselves for union rolls, a move that can save them several hundred dollars annually.

“Teachers unions use money from educators to drive political agendas,” said Nevada Policy President John Tsarpalas. “That money often goes for political lobbying and pushing specific political ideologies.”

An example of how teachers unions spend members’ hard-earned money is a campaign launched by the Nevada State Education Association this past week to attempt to stop public funding for the construction of a new baseball stadium for the Oakland A’s in Las Vegas.

The union, which registered a new political action committee Wednesday in response to efforts to bring the A’s to Las Vegas, has vowed to pursue “every possible path” to halt the use of public financing, including litigation or even a referendum effort, the Nevada Independent reported.

The move comes just less than a month after the Nevada legislature allocated nearly $12 billion for K-12 education, an increase of $2.6 billion.

“The vast majority of Nevada educators joined their profession to help children, not fund unions, which can work against their own beliefs and principles,” Tsarpalas added.

Teachers who fail to take advantage of the opportunity to opt out during the first half of July will have to pay dues for the ensuing year.

Non-members cannot be required to pay teacher union fees or dues, and employers cannot discriminate against individuals based on their union membership status, according to teacherfreedom.org.

To exercise your freedom to opt out of the teacher’s union, click here.