Teachers Robert Wiersema of Hopkins and Pete Boyd of Martin are featured in a video explaining why they resigned their union membership in the Michigan Education Association.
Wiersema, who also was a member of the Wayland Board of Education from 1995 to 2010, told the Detroit News in 2014 he was “no longer a pawn in union’s ‘big money political game.”
Wiersema and Boyd, in a video produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, an anti-union conservative think tank, spoke about how they were tired of having their union dues go to political causes they didn’t agree with.
Boyd has been wrestling coach for Martin and not long ago recorded his 600th dual meet victory.
Wiersema has been a social studies teacher at Hopkins High School. He was elected to the Wayland Board of Education in 1995 and served as its president for several years in the first decade of the 21st century. He was defeated in his re-election bid in 2010 and blamed his loss on organized efforts against him by the Wayland Education Association.
The teachers are people of conviction. Well timed on their parts.
Both chose to take a job and make a career at a public school that had union negotiated contracts. Neither took teaching jobs at a private or parochial job fresh out of college most likely because of the starting wage and benefits.
It’s much easier to take a tough stand against a union when both have enjoyed what union representation got them rather than quitting their public school jobs and seek teaching and coaching positions at a private, parochial or charter school that typically pay their teachers significantly less and have less attractive healthcare coverage than their current public school employers
Are they going to continue to accept and participate in the union negotiated health plans if their districts have a different health coverage for administrators and staff instead of the union negotiated MESSA healthcare package? Have they cashed out of their state employees retirement plan and shiftEd those plans to a independent retirement account? Are either going to accept State of Michigan Employee health care plans that act as Medicare Supplemental coverage when they reach 65?
If either were to be fired on the whim of a school board member who cobbles a majority vote is The Mackinac Center for Public Policy going to cover their legal fees for them to return to their job?
Both have accepted union negotiated contracts, retirement packages and healthcare. But neither want to quit working at a public school. They like they higher wages and benefits but those union dues.
It would have been nice if you had provided the link to the video, but after some searching I found it. From 2014:
But I bet those two don’t complain about their salary and insurance, which is bargained for by their local unions, while they sit back and watch.
I bet Robert and Pete are VERY happy that they no longer are forced to contribute to the Democrat party! They will not have to read the union rag telling them how to vote. Additionally no more paying union dues to save some teachers jobs that should have been fired long ago. Very happy for them!!
Cheers!!!
It isn’t any different than working for any union shop where you don’t like how they spend the union dues on political endorsements you happen to be against.
Good for them for speaking out and splitting with the union.