Union fees voluntary

Regarding “Unions should earn members” (July 12), by Cindy Omlin:

Idaho teachers do pay about $50 less a month in union dues than Washington teachers (by her figures). But in right-to-work Idaho, teachers also earn about $1,000 less a month. My union dues, as a Washington teacher for 30 years, were spent by my union to advocate further training of teachers, improving the quality of student education, reducing class size, providing more technology in our schools, providing alternative programs for students, as well as attracting and keeping quality teachers by paying higher wages and benefits.

Teachers in Washington are unionized because the vast majority of teachers voted so. More than 95 percent of the teachers in my district supported our union membership. Teachers are allowed to give an equal amount to a charity of their choice in lieu of union dues – by law – but few did. The majority of teachers can vote to not be union if they so choose. Washington teachers did decide that union membership was in their best interest. Also, by Washington law, our union dues could not be used for any political purposes, unless the employee made a written request (yearly) for the union to do so.

Susan Ellis

Twin Lakes, Idaho