Indiana teachers unions sue state over new dues law

Three teachers union locals in Indiana have filed a lawsuit in federal district court over a new state law that would require teachers to file yearly requests to have union dues automatically deducted from their paychecks.

Senate Bill 251 is supposed to take effect July 1.

The lawsuit claims the bill unfairly targets teachers and makes it more difficult for the unions to collect dues. It was filed by union locals in the Anderson, Avon and Martinsville school districts.

Jeff Macey, an attorney representing the unions, told the Indianapolis Star no other unions or organizations are required to follow the same process.

“Why are teachers being singled out for these onerous restrictions?” he asked. “No other union, no other charity, no other organization in the state has to do this to assign a portion of your wages to them.”

Defendants named in the lawsuit are state Attorney General Todd Rokita, Secretary of Education Katie Jenner and Tammy Meyer, chair of the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board.

Rokita released a statement saying the new law supports “the rights of teachers to individually authorize a payroll deduction for union dues.”

The unions also say the law is unnecessary because Indiana is a right to work state, meaning no one can be forced to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment.

Indiana passed its RTW law in 2012, making it the 23rd state in the country to pass such a law — there are now 28 — and the first in the Midwest.

Union critics, however, contend they only allow a narrow window in which teachers can resign their union membership and that the union does not publicize it.

“Teachers are not usually told up front how much those dues will be and oftentimes, deductions are taken without their knowledge or permission,” according to the website of Indiana Professional Educators Inc., an association for non-union teachers.

Under the current practice, teachers sign a form to allow dues to be taken out of their paychecks and turn it in to union officers. Dues are around $1,000 a year and includes membership in the local union, the Indiana State Teachers Association and the National Education Association.

The new process would include three steps and supporters of the bill say it ensures school districts will see proof of teachers wanting to pay dues rather than accepting the union’s word for it.

Teachers will now have to sign a form created by Rokita’s office and submit it to the school district. District staff would then email each teacher to confirm receipt and teachers must respond to the email giving their OK for dues dedu