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Anti-union group, MEA lock horns (again)

Kyle Mahan
/
flickr http://michrad.io/1LXrdJM

There's another squabble between an anti-public-union group and the union that represents most of Michigan's teachers. 

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy actively encourages teachers to quit the Michigan Education Association. The group posts videos of teachers giving the reasons why they quit, and advising others to follow their example. 

The Center also sends mail to union members. A recent mailing told teachers they could join a national union to get a better liability insurance policy. 

The MEA says the group failed to tell teachers that they'd be giving up some key protections, including union representation for grievances and hearings.

For its part, the Michigan Education Association doesn't make it easy to quit. Teachers can only opt out of the union during the month of August. 

The MEA recently changed the address where teachers must send their notice to quit, and the Mackinac Center calls it a "trick to lock workers in a dues cage." 

The union says the address was published in its member publication in June, it's on the MEA website, and, if teachers send their notices to the wrong address, they'll be directed to the correct one.

Tracy Samilton covers energy and transportation, including the auto industry and the business response to climate change for Michigan Public. She began her career at Michigan Public as an intern, where she was promptly “bitten by the radio bug,” and never recovered.
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