I hear all this talk about teachers' unions, and I think the U.S. gets her impression of all teachers from this sort of thing. In the soutn - I live in Georgia - we don't have the unions like some of these other states do. We have teaching groups that we belong to, but they certainly don't dictate to anyone how many hours we should work. We work a LOT of the time without extra pay. As for myself, I usually work 11 hours a day at the school. Then there's the weekend. Many other teachers do the same. We are not paid for that extra time put in, but so much is piled on us, we'd never get it done if we checked in and out at the times given to us.

It is clear that unions have served their purpose and now they have just become gluttonous leeches on our society and government. But there are too many people who have bought into the do little/get a lot mentality that belonging to a union seems to create. Seems as if, with this and everything else going on in this country, it's time for a revolution.

I teach in The People's Republic of Illinois. It is a forced union state. At the beginning of every school year, I must send a letter to IEA/NEA, requesting to resign from the teacher's union, and every year I get harassing letters back, telling me I must justify my desire NOT to belong. I am a religious dissenter--- it is the only opt out allowed by law here. And even if they accept my resignation, dues are still collected from my paycheck. As a dissenter, I can request that they send the "collective bargaining" monies they take be sent to a non-religious charity. I send that $600+ a year to the American Cancer Society... at least, I am assuming the NEA is actually allowing that, as I never can get confirmation.

I COULD leave Illinois to teach in another state (have taught in Texas and Illinois). But aside from the lousy politics of this state, I enjoy my job. I work in a great community with great kids. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only teacher in the district who does not belong to the union. Fortunately, the other staff members do not seem to be too bothered by this; but I do waive my right for bargaining (our union just voted to switch to the worst health care plan I have ever seen, but I guess I can't complain if I wasn't able to have my voice heard in the first place). But I imagine in some other states and districts, there is no choice but to belong, whether through intimidation, denial of resignation, or whatever. So while no one is forcing me to work at THIS school, any school in this state will force me to join the NEA or jump through a lot of hoops, with no guarantee that I can decline that honor. Choice is not big with the teacher's union.

Stiles (or whatever your name is today)

In most states, if a workplace has been unionised (Queen's English), a new hire is not forced to join the union. However, they must pay the union a fee to represent them as part of the collective bargaining agreement.

What that means is paying almost the same amount as the dues, and receiving none of the protections that unions are supposed to provide.

So while nobody forced them to join the union, they are stuck with being represented by them, and bound by their rules.

Haven't we all realized this is now considered normal? I could never imagine working 7 hours and 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 8 months out of the year.

Ironically, here in Indiana, they polled teachers who decided the want more than just seniority to decide who goes first during layoffs. The union said, "No." It's a good ole boy system here, that lines way too many pockets. We should just home school all of our kids for 2 years, so they are forced to close all the public schools. Let the free market decide what to do with "teachers" and "students".

All unions can go to hell in my opinion.

If they didnt want to be part of the union, they could get a job elsewhere. This isnt russia, nobody ius forcing teachers to work at these schools. Plus, I thought it was violative of the NLRA to force employees to join a union. I would recheck that law and make sure that Neal isnt huffing out crazy republican propoganda.