Teachers working for public school districts in the past joined teacher unions as a way to protect their futures. Also called education unions, this is a type of professional organization designed to help new students as well as those with more experience. Members can attend meetings to talk with other teachers working in local schools and get help when they need to file a claim. Not all public schools have a union for teachers though, and those districts usually have some specific reasons for not having one in place.
Benefits of a Union
Being a member of a union has a number of benefits for teachers. The first is that the teacher can get help filing a claim. A school may fire a teacher for an issue relating to a student or because administrators did not approve of the subjects addressed by the teacher in a class. Education unions will serve as mediators between teachers and their schools and may help those teachers get their jobs back. Unions can also help teachers fight for pay raises every year and get higher starting salaries for recent college graduates entering the teaching world. Some unions even help teachers start their own credit unions and plan for retirement.
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Paying Dues
Teacher unions work in the same way that any other union does. Professional teachers can join the union and become a member after showing proof that they work for a local school district and paying a fee. Every year that the teacher remains in the union, he or she will pay a set amount that the union calls its dues. The money raised goes to support the union and to help it pay for its projects. Those funds may go lawsuits and hiring lawyers to help teachers too.
Lack of Unions
According to a report in USA Today, the number of teachers enrolled in unions dropped from 53 percent in 2003 to 49 percent in 2014. In the 1980s, this figure hit more than 60 percent. This includes teachers working in both public and private schools. Private schools receive less government funding and generally use the enrollment fees that parents pay to cover operating costs. Public schools receive more government funding that pays for most of their operating costs. USA Today puts the number of teachers with union coverage and protection at around 2.5 million of those working across the United States.
Reasons for No Unions
One reason for the lack of unions is because of the number of charter schools operating today. As those schools open, they attract teachers from public schools who like the idea of working with more freedom and fewer restrictions. Another issue is the rising cost of membership fees. As schools receive less funding, they look for ways to cut costs, which can include the salaries of teachers. Teachers may decide against joining unions because they do not have the funds available to pay their annual membership dues and fees.
Many public schools once worked with unions as a way to protect teachers and to protect their own interests. Charter and private schools now offer an alternative for parents as well as their children. The rise of those schools across the nation is just one reason why there are fewer education unions and why fewer public school teachers join teacher unions.
