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Judge: Michigan teachers can exit union anytime

By WTOP Staff

DAVID EGGERT
Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s largest teachers’ union should allow members to resign at any time and stop enforcing an annual one-month opt-out window, a state labor judge ruled, relying on the state’s right-to-work law that took effect last year.

The administrative law judge, Julia Stern, recommended Tuesday that the Republican-controlled Employment Relations Commission order the Michigan Education Association to no longer limit school employees to leaving the union in August. She said the right-to-work law incorporated a federal law interpreted to give public employees the ability to leave their union anytime.

The state’s largest public-sector union said Thursday that fewer than 5,000 of 110,000, or 5 percent, of active members opted out last month. Opponents countered that roughly 50,000 had no incentive to leave because they still have to pay fees for bargaining and other services — even if they decide not to belong and pay full dues — until their labor contracts lapse. The union said the 50,000 figure is high.

The legal decision and the union’s decision to make public its latest membership figures followed an intense month of lobbying by organized labor and pro-business groups to persuade teachers to leave or stay, in the first real test of the law that no longer allows forced union fees as a condition of employment.

Lawyers on both sides learned of Stern’s decision Wednesday night.

“Judge Stern’s ruling goes along with our belief that teachers are professionals and not piggybanks for the MEA,” said Patrick Wright, director of the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation.

Steven Cook, the union’s president, said its members believe in the union and public education, and “no amount of outside rhetoric is going to dissuade them.”

An appeal is planned, first with the commission — controlled 2-1 by Republicans — and then likely the state appeals court and ultimately the Michigan Supreme Court.

“We probably have a couple years more of this to go,” Wright said.

The union’s general counsel, Michael Shoudy, said the resignation process has been in place for more than 40 years.

“We remain hopeful that MERC will find the August window to be consistent with the law,” he said.

A significant number of dropouts over time would deliver a financial blow to the influential union. Members pay up to $640 annually to the state union and $182 to the National Education Association, along with local dues.

The ruling directly affects seven employees in four school districts — Saginaw, Battle Creek, Grand Blanc and Standish-Sterling — who complained they were unable to drop their membership after missing the August window in 2013. If the decision stands, it could have broader implications for other unions with time restrictions on dropping out.

The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation and the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation filed lawsuits and labor complaints on behalf of the teachers, accusing the union of not publicizing the opt-out period and threatening to send members who unsuccessfully tried to leave in other months to collections for not paying their dues.

Union leaders have defended their policies, saying the job of a membership association is not to help people resign and contending that the annual monthlong window is essential for planning and budgeting.

The judge agreed with the reasoning for the window but said the law changed with the passage of the right-to-work measure. Stern dismissed allegations that the union violated state labor law by trying to send members to collections for not paying dues. She also said unions have no duty to educate their members about the right-to-work changes.

About 8,000 members stopped paying dues last school year after another Republican-written law, which ended automatic dues deductions from school employees’ paychecks, took effect. The union said several thousand have resumed paying dues.

In the past two years, Republican-controlled legislatures in Michigan and Indiana have passed laws making union fees voluntary, and other Midwestern states are considering the idea.

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Follow David Eggert on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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