Idaho teacher unions see decline in membership

 Idaho’s new school reform laws have gutted the collective bargaining powers of teachers’ unions, and membership in some of the organizations is waning.

That’s leaving some of the union locals without the simple-majority status that they must prove in order to negotiate with the district.

The Students Come First laws, unveiled by schools Superintendent Tom Luna one year ago and approved by the 2011 Legislature, limit teacher contract negotiations to the issues of pay and benefits. Working conditions and other issues were eliminated from master contracts.

Boise Education Association President Andrew Rath told the Idaho Statesman that the process isn’t more adversarial because of the new laws.

“This (legislation) basically said to districts that if you don’t want to work with teachers in these areas, you can say by law you don’t have to do it anymore,” Rath said. “But I think they’ve found that districts want to work with the teachers.”

The Boise union has lost some members in the past year, but still counts about 92 percent of district teachers as members, Rath said.

Membership has dropped more in some nearby districts: Union leaders Sam Stone of Caldwell and Luke Franklin of Meridian both say their numbers have dropped below 50 percent. But in order to negotiate with districts, unions have to prove they represent more than half of the union-eligible employees affected by the contract.

That majority doesn’t have to consist of dues-paying members, however. Franklin said the Meridian association is campaigning to get nonmembers to authorize the association to negotiate on their behalf.

In Caldwell, the district has nearly 350 teachers, and fewer than 150 belonged to the local union by late last fall. Stone said he expects a membership drive will restore the association to simple-majority status.

Statewide, Idaho Education Association President Penni Cyr said, “Our membership is down in some areas, (but) we’re stable or gaining in others, including among the education support professionals like classroom aides, janitors and cafeteria personnel who work throughout our schools.”

The statewide association has represented about 13,000 members in recent years. Communication Director Julie Fanselow wouldn’t say how far that number has dropped, but said most local chapters are within 5 percent of their membership from a year ago.

The declining numbers aren’t necessarily because of the new laws, Franklin said. The lousy economy, higher insurance premiums, layoffs and personal finances all played a role.

Nampa Education Association President Angie Spracher contended that the idea the new laws sapped teachers’ rights is a “misconception” that cost the association numerous members. Spracher would not say how much the Nampa union’s membership has declined, but she said economic problems were the prime reason her association lost members.

The union has cut monthly dues in half to $52.50 in response.

Schools superintendent Luna has said repeatedly that the laws are really a boon for Idaho teachers by unfreezing salaries and launching a pay-for-performance system to reward high-performing educators with merit pay or bonuses.

“Students Come First was about making sure every student has the opportunities and access they need to be prepared to go on to postsecondary education or the workforce without the need for remediation once they get there,” said Luna’s spokeswoman, Melissa McGrath. “In order to do that, we had to make sure there was a highly effective teacher in every classroom, that every teacher has the tools they need . and local school boards have the authority and flexibility they need to manage schools.”

The laws face plenty of opposition. Parents, teachers and others successfully collected 75,000 signatures to put all three school-reform laws on the ballot for repeal.

A similar effort to repeal a law restricting collective bargaining succeeded in Ohio in November, and other public employees across the nation are fighting efforts to reduce union clout. Unions in Wisconsin are pushing to recall Gov. Scott Walker, the prime mover behind a new state law that constrains unions.

NEW! Online only subscription. 24/7 access to premium online subscriber content for only $79.00 a year!
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY!

One Response to “Idaho teacher unions see decline in membership”

1. Bill Says:
   January 23rd, 2012 at 5:37 pm

   I’m no fan of teacher unions; my Mom taught public school for over 35 years, and neither was she. That said, I personally know of 8-10 teaching couples who have simply left Idaho for greener pastures over the last 10 years. In several cases they’re now making well into 6 figures. This will speed up the process.

   Idaho’s record on public education mirrors its economic development record of falling from 36th in per capita income in 1980, to just ahead of Mississippi at 49th today. It’s the ONLY US state requiring a supermajority vote (66.7%) to pass an ordinary school bond; only US state where the Legislature fought & lost a 15 year state lawsuit to provide M&O monies to school districts, and still refuses while federal court takes it on.

   This kind of outrageous policy is bound to have serious economic consequences for the state. What higher-paying companies will Idaho attract? or of those still here, retain? There are lots of places in the USA that would dearly love to snake-away the few major companies Idaho still has, and they value public education, reflecting their values with superior schools so parents don’t have to lay-out $ thousands yearly for a quality (private) education. Big companies and small tech startups all know this, you can’t attract & keep talent if you reside in a dump.

   Why do think the rural yahoos in charge of Idaho’s legislature are so deathly afraid of a fair redistricting? They’d lose their power in what’s now an 80%+ urban state. It maybe too late for quality public education in Idaho.