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| 2014 Poll Released by National Employee Freedom Week Coalition |
| posted by: Alana | August 14, 2014, 08:56 PM |
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In honor of our second annual National Employee Freedom Week - a nationwide campaign offering an unparalleled focus on the freedoms union employees have to opt out of union membership - we are sharing stories of how worker freedom impacts American teachers. As part of the celebration, the National Employee Freedom Week coalition released the results of a new poll conducted by Google Consumer Surveys last month that showed 82.9 percent of Americans nationwide support the concept of right-to-work. The poll asked this simple question: “Should employees have the right to decide, without force or penalty, whether to join or leave a labor union?” While union membership in states like Nevada is optional for teachers, membership recruitment and retention practices are nothing short of dishonest. Many teachers are not only tricked into signing paperwork that they’re led to believe is mandatory, but once they accidentally join, they get locked into union contracts where they’re not told how to leave, and they become subject to narrow opt-out periods each year. “Teachers deserve to have choices,” says AAE Executive Director Gary Beckner. “This is a pro-teacher stance. And one that an overwhelming majority of Americans already support! That’s why Employee Freedom Week is such a critical informational campaign that all teachers need to be a part of!” Already in one year, the NEFW coalition grew from 37 to 45 states, and doubled from 40 to over 80 coalition members. The fact is - just like the rest of America – teachers deserve the freedom to choose membership in any association. Rigid laws and agreements that favor labor unions over teachers are counter-productive. In 2012 alone, 140,000 educators left the largest teacher union in the nation. And a National Employee Freedom Week poll further showed that 33% of union members would opt out if given the chance to leave without fear of repercussion. This is just further proof that worker freedom is an American value that is supported nationwide. And when teachers have the right to choose, many choose to flee from the dictatorial-like union regimes and find protection in professional organizations that provide similar benefits at a fraction of the cost. Working with the Nevada Policy Research Institute, AAE created National Employee Freedom Week in 2013 after over 1,450 teachers left the union in Nevada alone from an NPRI information campaign educating teachers about their ability to opt-out of union membership during the July 1-15 drop window. Comment Below.
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