End taxpayer support for school labor union duties

Opinion by WAYNE HOFFMAN

 Reps. Bob Nonini and Reed DeMourdaunt have introduced a gutsy bill to stop an abuse of taxpayer money in Idaho's public school system. DeMourdaunt is a freshman from Eagle. Nonini is from Coeur d'Alene and chairman of the House Education Committee. The problem this pair seeks to solve is so pervasive and unbelievable that when I first raised the issue in December, many people wrote to say I was full of beans. Said I: "Even in this budget climate, school districts still allow teachers to get paid to attend to union business while on the taxpayer dime. Some teachers spend an entire school year receiving taxpayer-paid salaries and benefits without having to step foot in front of classroom of students." Of course, what I said is not only true, but common.

Under the Nampa School District's contract with contract with the Nampa Education Association (NEA), the school board agreed to "release the NEA President from classroom responsibilities for one year." The contract leaves open to negotiation the payment for the position. The contract, and I could not possibly make this up, says, "A suggested starting position for sharing costs might be that the (school district) would pay all costs of the NEA President and one half the costs of the replacement with the (teachers union) paying the remaining one half of the costs of the replacement." Wow. Some starting point. We should all have contracts like this. So, for this year, the school district agreed to pay $52,978 toward the salary and benefits of the teachers' union president, who is contractually released from teaching duties. The Nampa Education Association agreed to put up $20,000 toward the expense.

The Boise Education Association's (BEA) contract with the Boise School District says the BEA president “shall be” excused from teaching, with full pay and benefits, for his or her term of office.  The agreement says it is up to the district to reimburse the teacher's union an amount equal to the salary and benefits of a first year teacher.

Several other school districts provide paid time off for teachers to run their unions. Others provide paid time off to attend union meetings. Among these are Cottonwood, Lakeland (Rathdrum), Mackay, Meridian, Post Falls and Troy.

House Bill 104 proposes that school boards "shall not include labor union or association activities as part of the duties of any position."

That's a perfectly responsible and reasonable public policy. If the union is desirous of a fulltime or part-time employee, it should hire one, not sponge off taxpayers.

Mind you, DeMourdaunt and Nonini are bound to draw fire from folks armed with bogus claims about how teachers-as-union-leaders-at-taxpayer-expense is really a good deal for everyone because said teachers serve as apostles to solve problems before they escalate into lawsuits. (This, by the way, was the excuse the Nampa School District gave in defense of its policy).

The idea that our money is used to pay the union boss of a school district is offensive, regardless of the economic conditions. I kind of feel that public school teachers, who are hired to teach, ought to teach. Radical as it sounds, it just might work.

Wayne Hoffman

Executive Director

Idaho Freedom Foundation