Forfeiting The Final Paycheck For Union Dues

Sorry for the lack of updates lately, folks! Going into the holidays (including hosting family Thanksgiving at my home) has left me with a little less time to go through teachers union contracts. Every time I go to comb through the files something else comes up. Anyway, enough about me and my excuses!

One of the more ridiculous portions of the Vermillion teachers union contract is a provision that states that if a teacher leaves Vermilion Parish, retires in the middle of the year, or resigns, their annual dues will be deducted from their final paycheck. If you think this is done to protect and meet the needs of Vermilion teachers, then I have beach-front property in Nebraska I want to sell you. Why should teachers be compelled to pay six months worth of Union dues they won't use if they are retiring? And largely forfeit their final paycheck in the process? It's done purely to benefit the union. 

VAE President's Special Privileges

Part of the contract that VAE has made with the Vermilion Parish School Board concerns special privileges for the VAE President. It's the second part that's more concerning. I'll let you read it from the contract yourself.

5.19 VAE PRESIDENT RELEASE TIME Any member of the Unit who is elected President of the VAE will, upon proper applications, be granted a one (1) year leave of absence without pay for the purpose of accepting the position. Such leave shall be renewed from year to year during the life of this contract upon written request. Upon return from such leave of absence, members of the Unit shall be placed on the step of the salary schedule they would have attained had they remained in service and shall be returned to their former position or if such leave exceeds one (1) year, its equivalent. 

VAE Serves Itself, Not Teachers

The Vermilion Association of Educators' contract is a mess of legalese and is intended to be that way. It's confusing to read for the average teacher and I'm guessing some teachers approve of it largely because they think it was designed to benefit them. However, there are two important points worth considering in relation to that.

The first is that the VAE only allows individuals to opt-out of the union before August 1st (which means that it must be done prior to the school year, making it even more difficult). The second, and worse, issue is that if a teacher leaves the parish for some reason, retires mid-year, or resigns--the annual union dues come out of their final paycheck. So, if Jenny retires mid-year, her final paycheck will be deducted several months worth of dues. That is not only not fair, it is clearly designed to benefit the union, not the teachers the union is supposed to serve.