Earlier this month the Freedom Foundation sent mailers to more than 90,000 teachers, informing them of the 2018 Supreme Court decision, Janus v. AFSCME, recognizing their First Amendment right not to financially support a union in order to keep their job.

Because government union bosses are loathe to give up dues money from teacher paychecks, the Freedom Foundation mailer is the first time many teachers learned they could stop paying union dues.

In just one week, nearly 200 teachers chose to exercise their First Amendment right to opt out of their union, keeping more of their hard-earned dollars.

It is vital for public employees to learn and understand that government unions can’t force them to pay dues against their will. Teachers, who choose to opt-out, will save approximately $1,000 per year.

The Freedom Foundation’s work to educate and empower government employees, including teachers, is saving families money and helping provide an economic boost when it is needed most. In addition, opting-out of the union means teachers can no longer be forced against their will to fund the OEA’s radical political agenda.

Last year, the OEA collected more than $55 million from teachers. Nearly 25% of the total dues collected by OEA was sent out of state. In 2019, OEA spent roughly $2 million on leftist ideological organizations and lined the pockets of politicians with more than a quarter of a million dollars paid by Ohio taxpayers via union dues.

The Freedom Foundation will continue fighting the good fight in the Buckeye state, telling government employees about their right to leave their unions. In the last two years alone, the Freedom Foundation has helped nearly 80,000 people across the country gain their freedom. This number will only grow as we continue to educate public employees in Ohio to their constitutional rights.