Indiana Judge Refuses Union Plea to Stop Disaffiliation

NEA teacher union officials are fighting to keep another local Indiana affiliate from disaffiliating.  The NEA instituted unified membership in 1972 in its attempt to gain power and prestige as a union.  This was a common union practice before that time and the NEA was not about to let the advantage go unused.   Unified membership meant that when a teacher joins, he or she must join at all 3 levels (local, state and national affiliates), which enhances power and prestige.  School administrators found the practice relieved them from dealing with multiple unions and so embraced the idea.  Many teachers who consult CEAFU declare they would not mind being members of their local union, but do not wish to be part of the state or national unions.  Of course, the national union insists on resolutions and politics that not everyone wishes to pay for or agree with.  Yet, in the past few years, the NEA is experiencing more and more disaffiliations.  Michael Perleberg has the story on eaglecountryonline.com.

Last May, the South Dearborn Education Association’s members voted to rescind their affiliation with the Indiana State Teachers Association effective July 31, 2019. The vote by the SDEA’s board and members came as the ISTA sought to make the local union submit to a trusteeship in which the ISTA Trustee would assume total control over the its affairs.