The White Elephant

The White Elephant of a "Fair Share Fee" is still being discussed by TAAAC in their contract negotaitons with the County School Board. The Board is insisting that all teachers be forced to pay the union regardless of whether or not they want to belong to the Union. But a retired Glen Burnie High School teacher and Board of Education Attorney Tyson Bennett easily explained every reason why teachers should be forced to pay a fee to TAAAC for their services:

"TAAAC is a very poor negotiator," said Clarence Riggs, a retired social studies teacher at Glen Burnie High School who still substitutes three days a week after a 35-year career. "My grandmother could out-negotiate TAAAC, and that's why I quit a long time ago. Their hearts are in the right place, but they're not professionals.

Mr. Bennett said some employees oppose the political positions TAAAC takes, and the candidates it supports.

"Those people may say, 'I don't want to put money into the union and have them spend my money on candidates I don't want, or political positions I don't support," he
said.

As I have stated before, nobody should be forced to pay dues to an organization that they do not wish to be a member of. If the shoe were on the other foot, I highly doubt that that TAAC President Sheila Finlayson, or even the bill's primary sponsor Senator Phil Jimeno, would want to be strongarmed into paying a fee to an organization that they do not belong to or do not wish to support.

The Board of Education should continue to reject calls by the Union to force non-union teachers to pay such a fee. Just because the Board is empowered to enact such a fee does not mean that such a fee should be enacted.