Glad to Live in a Right to Work State

Cross-posted from WhereIstand

A story of union thuggery from my wife’s home state of Ohio:

(CNSNews.com) – Told by a union official to pay forced dues or "change religions," a teacher in southern Ohio is challenging a state law that allows only those public employees who belong to certain denominations the right to claim religious objection to paying union dues.

Carol Katter, a mathematics and language arts instructor in the St. Marys district, filed a federal complaint in the U.S. District Court in Columbus this week over an Ohio law that prevents the lifelong Catholic from diverting her dues from a union she refuses to fund because it supports abortion on demand.

Katter filed the complaint against top officials of the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) for religious discrimination in enforcing Ohio Revised Code section 4117.09(C), which states:

"Any public employee who is a member of and adheres to established and traditional tenets or teachings of a bona fide religion or religious body which has historically held conscientious objections to joining or financially supporting an employee organization and which is exempt from taxation under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code shall not be required to join or financially support any employee organization as a condition of employment." (emphasis added)

SERB is the body that oversees relations between Ohio public sector employers and employees…

The teacher’s request was turned down "basically because I could not come up with proof that my individual church — not the Catholic faith, but my individual church — had a record of anyone having successfully fought a union," she said. "In my little parish church, no one’s ever done this, and that’s what threw it out."

As it is, the NEA has the right to take this teacher’s money against her will to fund what she abhors. Didn’t Thomas Jefferson have something to say about that:

to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical;

Idaho teachers are safe because of Idaho Right to Work laws while those in Ohio aren’t so fortunate:

“Carol Katter’s struggle underscores that Ohio employees still face an uphill battle when objecting to union affiliation on religious grounds,” said Stefan Gleason, vice president of the National Right to Work Foundation, which is providing the teacher with free legal assistance.

“Until Ohio passes a Right to Work law making union membership and dues payment strictly voluntary, such abuses will inevitably continue,” Gleason argued.

The NEA also has a huge attitude problem. They think they’re in the business of advocating for liberal causes. They’re not. Teachers pay dues to insure that they get good pay and wages. Because you’re a teacher doesn’t make you a liberal and your money shouldn’t go to support what you wouldn’t gladly give to voluntarily.