MEMBERSHIP PERKS
Strength in Numbers
ARE YOU A FULL DUES PAYING MEMBER?
MEA full dues paying members are entitled to the following:
Vote for Board Directors
Hold a Position on the Board of Directors
Be a Shop Steward
Attend events at special member discount prices
Representation in grievances, at Personnel Board meetings and may include litigation representation
Participate in committees including Negotiations, Bylaws, Coalition, Retiree Benefit Trust, etc.
Vote on MOU Ratification
Receive promotional items and eligible for prizes at General Membership Meetings
JANUS VS AFSCME
With the recent decision, Janus v. AFSCME, the U. S. Supreme Court invalidated agency shops agreements in a ruling that will impact Unions and Associations across the Nation. This includes MEA, which has long served its members under an agency shop agreement. These agreements require all employees covered by an Association to pay a fee (called “agency fees” or “fair-share fees”) to cover the Association’s costs for collective bargaining, contract enforcement, and matters affecting wages, hours, and conditions of employment, even if the worker refuses union membership. The long-standing principle behind fair-share fees was that those who benefit from the work of the Association – and particularly the pay and benefit increases negotiated under a union contract - shouldn’t be able to “free ride” off co-workers who do pay for that benefit.
With the Janus ruling, Associations will no longer be able to use an agency shop agreement to protect members from these “free-riders”. The ruling did not affect union-security clauses – such as maintenance of membership provisions – which require employees to maintain membership in the union for a designated period if they do not “opt-out” during an annual window period.
The MEA Board recently enacted a Maintenance of Membership clause in order to protect the integrity of your Association and ensure we remain strong in the years ahead. With this clause, members will have the ability to “opt-out” of the Association during an annual window period coinciding with the anniversary month of the member’s date of permanent employment with the City. This will help stabilize our membership numbers and allow MEA to rely on consistent membership dues to continue to provide the best services and representation possible to our members. It also brings us into compliance with the recent Court ruling.
The MEA Board is committed to maintaining our strength as an Association, to continue to fight for better pay and work conditions, to protect the rights of our members, and to always act with the best interests of our members as top priority! The Board is taking action to ensure this continues even in the age where “free-riders” claim protection under this recent Court ruling.