NEA/AFT Membership: The Critical Issues
Executive Summary
In EPI's latest publication, NEA/AFT Membership:
The Critical Issues, Myron Lieberman and Charlene
Haar discuss several issues seldom raised about teacher
union membership. Aimed at both prospective as well as
current union members, the authors present an analysis of
membership and nonmembership options and consequences.
Although both the National Education Association and the
American Federation of Teachers claim to be professional
organizations, readers are reminded that "the only
requirement to be an NEA member at any level is to be
employed by a school district. This is a drastically
different membership policy than prevails in professional
organizations, such as the American Medical Association or
American Bar Association." The same point is applicable to
the AFT.
The authors point out that the NEA and AFT are producers
of representational services, such as negotiating contracts
and handling grievances. As consumers of these services,
teachers should decide whether the costs (membership dues)
are worth the benefits.
It is hardly debatable that some teachers are
dissatisfied with the costs of the NEA and/or AFT for the
services received. For example, a 1998 report of the
Kentucky Education Association asserted, "leaders and staff
alike are seen as self-serving, disrespectful to one
another, jealous, and sometimes resentful of one another."
An NEA sponsored study, widely known as the Kamber Report,
also revealed widespread rank and file dissatisfaction with
NEA services and responsiveness to rank and file concerns.
NEA/AFT Membership: The Critical Issues also
points out that:
- Many rank and file members are dissatisfied because
the unions have become deeply involved in noneducational
issues.
- Any AFT member who wants to adopt a policy or elect a
candidate opposed by the AFT's New York affiliates has no
realistic chance to succeed.
- The Gay and Lesbian Educators Caucus has become so
influential that candidates for NEA executive office are
not likely to be elected without the endorsement of the
caucus.
So what can members and prospective members do? After a
discussion of the pros and cons of membership and activism
within the unions for change, the final conclusion is that
"nonmembership in the NEA/AFT is the only practical way for
most teachers to express their criticisms of union policy."
In addition, the authors suggest that "many teachers are
considering efforts to replace the NEA/AFT affiliate with an
independent teacher union as the bargaining agent." These
teachers want a different kind of union to meet teacher
needs.
Myron Lieberman is Senior Research Scholar, Social
Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State
University, Bowling Green, Ohio; and Chairman, Education
Policy Institute, Washington, D.C. Charlene K. Haar is
President of the Education Policy Institute and Research
Associate, Social Philosophy and Policy Center.
Publications in the EPI Series on Teacher Unions
are available at a cost of $6.00 each through the Education
Policy Institute, PMB 294, 4401-A Connecticut Ave., NW,
Washington, DC 20008-2322 202/244-7535, Fax 202/244-7584
http://www.educationpolicy.org
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