Teachers, You Don’t Have to Join a Union to Keep Your Job

by David Boyle

It may come as a surprise to many public school teachers that they don’t have to join a union to keep their jobs.  That decision was rendered by the US Supreme Court in its Janus v. AFSCME decision, 2018.

Supreme Court Justice Alito wrote the majority opinion in which he stated,

“By agreeing to pay, nonmembers are waiving their First Amendment rights, and such a waiver cannot be presumed,” he wrote. “Rather, to be effective, the waiver must be freely given and shown by ‘clear and compelling’ evidence. Unless employees clearly and affirmatively consent before any money is taken from them, this standard cannot be met.”

But are teachers really aware of their rights?

There is an information vacuum when it comes to informing current and newly hired teachers of their First Amendment right not to join a union.

Information is power and the teacher union leadership knows that better than most.   Instead of ensuring this information is provided, the Anchorage School District joins the teachers’ union (AEA) in the current contract by requiring that, “The Association and the District will jointly plan and participate in all orientation and onboarding activities for new bargaining unit members”. 

Nowhere in the contract is it stated there is an obligation to tell new and current hires their First Amendment rights to not join the union.  So, one side of the story  is given without telling the other side. 

Remember, information is power.

Note that the Anchorage Education Association (AEA) doesn’t just include teachers.  It also includes counselors, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, audiologists, and librarians.

You probably think all your union dues go toward representative activities such as contract negotiations.  Guess again.  Since 2004, the NEA-Alaska has spent $778,161 on political spending (https://publicunionfacts.com/union/TkFUSU9OQUwgRURVQ0FUSU9OIEFTU09DSUFUSU9OIEFMQVNLQQ==/national-education-association-alaska).

And most of the NEA-Alaska members are probably totally unaware of what this political spending has supported.  As a union member, have you had a say about what political issues, policies, or candidates your dues go to?  No, you don’t.

That is an abridgement of your First Amendment rights to speech per the SCOTUS Janus decision.  It is called “compelled speech”.

Has your union contributed to any legislative candidates that you don’t agree with on abortion, income taxes, fish and game restrictions, and the Permanent Fund Dividend?  It probably has.  

 Ask your state legislator what policies he/she supports and determine if you agree.  Here is a list of candidates that the NEA-AK has contributed more than $441,000 to: https://publicunionfacts.com/union/TkFUSU9OQUwgRURVQ0FUSU9OIEFTU09DSUFUSU9OIEFMQVNLQQ==/national-education-association-alaska/state-candidates.

During the period 2018-2023, the AEA collected $ 16,640,226.33 from its members.  That’s a lot of PFDs.  For the year 2023 the AEA collected $1,138 from each of its members.  The big question is how much of those dues went for political purposes versus representative activities including contract negotiations?

Wouldn’t you like to have that money to replace the PFD that the legislature reduced/stole?  Wouldn’t you like that money to pay your property taxes?  How about buying a set of snow tires?  You could even pay for your student to receive additional tutoring if necessary.

Better yet, you could use that $1,138 to help pay your health insurance premiums!

Wouldn’t you also like to have that money to invest in your own 401K, mutual funds and stocks?  Your NEA-AK union has taken your dues money and invested it for its own gain.  In 2023, the union had $9,240,420 invested in publicly traded securities such as the stock market.  It also had an additional $1,302,732 invested in other securities. (https://app.candid.org/profile/8365082/nea-alaska-inc-92-0022642?activeTab=7)

So, your union has taken your dues to put in various investment securities instead of allowing you to invest your own dues money in those securities.  And those securities investments of $10,543,152 would now cover two years of the NEA-AK dues.  Maybe the members could have at least a one-year grace period with no dues.

Here is an entire list of all the Anchorage School District unions, individual member contributions, and total union collected dues from 2018-2023.  It’s an astounding $24,458,704.77

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And don’t forget that a substantial amount of your union dues is sent to the national organization, NEA-National, which uses that money to foster anti-ICE activity, transgender activities, social justice, anti-Trump, and other progressive ideas.

Here is what the NEA-National spent on political activities vs representational activities in September 2024-August 2025:   

Source:  (https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/orgReport.do?rptId=925350&rptForm=LM2Form)

Note that it spent 53 percent of the above total on political activities.  Activities such as social justice, anti-ICE training, Equity, and anti-Trump activities.  It actually refers to President Trump as a fascist.  Here is a resolution from its recent national convention:

Don’t you believe that to vote every person must be a US citizen and provide a picture ID?  Well, that’s not what NEA-National believes.  It opposes the SAVE Act now in Congress.

“The bill requires in-person registration with proof of citizenship. It would disenfranchise millions of citizens who can’t get to elections offices and lack access to MAGA politicians are on a crusade to make it harder than ever for us to have voice in our democracy birth certificates or passports.   MAGA politicians are on a crusade to make it harder than ever for us to have voice in our democracy.” (https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/action-center/take-action/save-act-threatens-our-freedom-vote)

Your dues also go to supporting transgender women participating in girls’ sports.  The NEA-National opposes the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025”. ((https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/action-center/letters-testimony/vote-no-so-called-protection-women-and-girls-sports-act-2025

Finally, your union dues go to opposing the “Parents Bill of Rights Act”, H.R.5, which mandates that school libraries maintain online catalogs that are available to parents and students.  Don’t you believe parents should have the right to know what books are in their children’s school libraries.  Your national teachers ‘union doesn’t believe so.

These are just a few of the national policies that you, as a member of the NEA-Alaska, have supported with your union dues.  You have no say in deciding which public policies your union dues support.  By joining the union, you have given them a blank check.

So, what can you do as a government union employee?

Well, you can opt out of your union because of the SCOTUS Janus decision.  Here is information on how to do that: https://www.optouttoday.com/nea-alaska/

You have the constitutional right to determine what political policies and candidates your union dues are used for.

Your dues may be being used to support policies which you adamantly oppose. 

It is up to you to assert your constitutional rights.

It’s your money.

It’s your job.

And you can use that dues money to invest in what you need and what you believe in. 

Your choice.  Not the union’s.