Media
PA Teacher Speaks Out on Union Issues
Last Wednesday, CF President Matt Brouillette guest hosted WHP580’s Ken Matthews Show in Harrisburg. Matt spent some time talking to Keith Williams, a high school English teacher from New Oxford in rural Adams County, about teachers’ unions and politics.
Listen to a clip of their revealing coversation here.
Keith has taught for 17 years and has never been a union member.
But recently, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) negotiated a contract with the school district that made the district an “agency shop” — which means all those teachers who have opted to not join the union must start paying their “fair share” (which union executives determine, of course) for union representation.
For Keith, this means he has to start paying over $500 each year for something he does not want, to an organization whose politics he opposes, just to keep his job.
As Keith notes, he wouldn’t even have so much of a problem paying for local representation and if his “fair share fees” actually stayed in the community. But much of the money that we taxpayers collect for the unions are shipped off to the state and national organizations to fund their lobbying and political activity.
Meanwhile, a majority of union rank-and-file report that they almost never hear from their state or national leaders who are supposed to be “representing” them.
Later on in the show, a union member calls in to challenge Keith on some of his claims.
Check out all three hours in podcast format at WHP580.com: