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BREAKING: Illinois Governor Issues Worker Freedom Executive Order
posted by: Alana | February 10, 2015, 08:24 PM   


Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner issued an executive order yesterday designed to prevent government employees (including teachers) from being forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment.

 

The full press release from the Governor’s office can be found here.

 

Why in Illinois? Why now?

As a newly elected Governor in debt stricken Illinois, Governor Rauner says he made an oath of office to uphold the Constitution. And he feels deeply about the injustice of forcing employees to become agency fee-payers when they don’t feel serviced or represented by their union and wish to opt out entirely from all associations thereof.

 

That’s why he filed a lawsuit against 20 unions (including the Illinois teachers union IFT) in conjunction with this executive order to call for immediate answers. As a result, this case has been set on a fast-track to the Supreme Court – meaning it could have nationwide implications for all government employees within the year!

 

This is one of the boldest statements, from one of the highest ranking officials, from one of the largest states in the union that has ever been made. And all eyes will be on Illinois in the coming months as this case works its way to the Supreme Court.

 

How will this effect teachers?

If the case indeed reaches the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court indeed finds it unconstitutional to force workers to pay ‘fair share’ fees as a condition of employment, then the doors of opportunity will finally be open to teachers who wish to seek alternatives to union membership with associations - like AAE - that best represent them and meet their needs.

 

The issue of compulsory unionism – including compulsory fees – is at the heart of why AAE was founded. AAE is adamantly against any policy where teachers are forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, also known as compulsory unionism or forced unionism.

 

AAE believes that teachers, as college-educated professionals, should be able to decide whether union membership matches his or her budget and beliefs. The fact is there are thousands of educators who do not want to be represented by a union and do not want to pay union dues but are forced to because of state laws.

 

And as such, we look forward to supporting Governor Rauner in the coming months as his case makes its way to the Supreme Court.

 


Do you feel this case is a step in the right directions for teachers?
Comment Below.

 

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