How Much are WEA Dues 2016-17

Jami Lund
April 28, 2017

Approximately 60,000 teachers are in workplaces where the agreement between the school board and the union requires them to pay the union as a condition of employment.

Teachers in WEA-certified districts in the 2016-17 school year pay an average of $1,030 for union dues. Dues range from a high of $1,248 to a low of $787.

Breakout:

$187 National Education Association
$416 Washington Education Association
$24 Washington Education Association special advocacy assessments
$160 to $621 in dues for the regional UniServ and the local association

WEA’s dues structure is unlike other unions which use a “percent of salary” approach. WEA uses an unorthodox “per-capita” method which is particularly onerous to the lowest paid teachers.

To the legislature, WEA advocates for disproportionately higher taxes for the highest earners, but assesses dues using a system which shields the wealthiest members from paying proportionate to their income. For example, a new teacher in Kennewick earning $35,541 is paying 3.1 percent of income as union dues. But a top-salary teacher in Pasco earning $112,252 is paying less than 1 percent.

In 15 of the WEA-paying districts, union payment is optional.

Four districts have an independent teachers’ union created by the local teachers.

Nearly 30 school districts have no union.

Learn about the refund of excess charges for extraneous purposes at ChoiceForTeachers.com

Learn about donating all dues to charities as a religious objector at: IChooseCharity.com

Washington Education Association Dues
District	Approx. 16-17 Total Dues	Rank (1=highest)	Fee Payers Keep At Least:
Aberdeen	$1,045	49	$252
Adna	$895	173	$895
Anacortes	$1,025	70	$271
Arlington	$1,049	46	$272
Asotin-Anatone	$805	239	$249
Auburn	$1,075	37	$258
Bainbridge Island	$1,033	59	$256
Battle Ground	$1,036	55	$253
Bellevue	$928	137	$253
Bellingham	$1,107	24	$273
Bethel	$1,048	47	$256
Blaine	$965	112	$269
Bremerton	$1,179	9	$260
Brewster	$853	205	$251
Bridgeport	$817	233	$817
Burlington-Edison	$1,021	72	$271
Camas	$1,036	56	$255
Cape Flattery	$796	245	$249
Cascade	$949	121	$254
Cashmere	$853	206	$251
Castle Rock	$991	94	$255
Central Kitsap	$1,084	33	$258
Central Valley	$968	105	$258
Centralia	$1,015	77	$251
Chehalis	$1,116	21	$254
Cheney	$1,004	88	$259
Chewelah	$873	192	$255
Chimacum	$939	131	$253
Clarkston	$894	176	$252
Cle Elum-Roslyn	$919	148	$253
Clover Park	$1,027	61	$256
Colfax	$849	211	$254
Colton	$849	212	$254
Columbia (Stev)	$969	104	$258
Columbia (W.W.)	$882	185	$252
Colville	$909	158	$256
Conway	$1,085	32	$273
Cosmopolis	$1,026	65	$251
Coulee-Hartline	$943	128	$943
Coupeville	$995	93	$270
Crescent	$798	243	$249
Creston	$789	250	$249
Cusick	$873	193	$255
Darrington	$905	165	$267
Davenport	$801	240	$801
Dayton & Starbuck	$882	186	$252
Deer Park	$969	103	$258
Dieringer	$849	210	$251?
East Valley (Spo)	$908	159	$256
East Valley (Yak)	$969	102	$254
Eastmont	$1,149	12	$260
Easton	$824	227	$250
Eatonville	$946	124	$249
Edmonds	$1,039	51	$256
Ellensburg	$960	114	$254
Elma	$1,026	66	$251
Endicott	$787	251	$787
Entiat	$853	207	$251
Enumclaw	$967	106	$255
Ephrata	$895	172	$252
Everett	$1,192	3	$261
Evergreen	$1,005	87	$254
Federal Way	$967	107	$255
Ferndale	$1,097	28	$273
Fife	$944	127	$253
Finley	$906	163	$252
Forks	$859	198	$251
Franklin Pierce	$1,034	58	$256
Freeman	$892	178	$255
Garfield-Palouse	$921	145	$256
Glenwood	$817	234	$250
Goldendale	$859	199	$251
Grand Coulee Dam	$913	154	$252
Grandview	$967	108	$254
Granger	$887	179	$252
Granite Falls	$918	153	$253
Grapeview	$792	248	$249
Great Northern	$897	167	$255
Griffin	$1,026	67	$251
Harrington	$897	168	$255
Highland	$883	184	$252
Highline	$1,011	84	$255
Hockinson	$925	142	$252
Hood Canal	$795	246	$249
Hoquim	$1,081	34	$253
Inchelium	$818	232	$250
Issaquah	$1,058	42	$257
Kahlotus	$822	228	$822
Kalama	$895	174	$252
Kelso	$1,135	16	$259
Kennewick	$1,090	29	$258
Kent	$1,068	40	$257
Kettle Falls	$933	135	$256
Kiona-Benton	$941	130	$253
Kittitas	$919	149	$253
Klickatat	$859	200	$251
La Center	$907	162	$252
La Conner	$946	123	$269
Lake Chelan	$865	196	$251
Lake Stevens	$1,187	6	$261
Lake Washington	$1,143	14	$259
Lakewood	$1,037	53	$271
Liberty	$897	169	$255
Lind	$797	244	$252
Longview	$1,051	44	$257
Loon Lake	$837	218	$254
Lopez Island	$1,037	54	$271
Lyle	$859	201	$251
Lynden	$965	111	$269
Mabton	$1,039	50	$256
Mansfield	Local
Manson	$841	216	$841
Mary M Knight	$807	236	$249
Marysville	$1,248	1	$262
McCleary	$926	140	$248
Mead	$1,034	57	$260
Medical Lake	$837	219	$254
Mercer Island	$1,003	89	$256
Meridian	$944	126	$268
Methow Valley	$877	189	$251
Monroe	$1,124	19	$259
Montesano	$1,018	75	$251
Morton	$1,008	86	$251
Moses Lake	$1,079	36	$257
Mossyrock	$1,014	78	$251
Mount Adams	$907	161	$252
Mount Baker	$1,025	71	$271
Mount Vernon	$1,113	23	$274
Mukilteo	$1,126	18	$259
Naches Valley	$919	150	$253
Napavine	$928	138	$253
Naselle Grays River	$859	203	$251
Nespelem	$853	208	$251
Newport	$885	181	$255
Nine Mile Falls	$827	226	$253
Nooksack Valley	$911	156	$267
North Beach	$1,050	45	$252
North Franklin	$882	187	$252
North Kitsap	$1,159	11	$260
North Mason	$939	132	$253
North River	$955	116	$254
North Thurston	$1,191	4	$256
Northport	$853	209	$251
Northshore	$1,114	22	$258
Oak Harbor	$1,135	17	$274
Oakville	$1,027	63	$251
Ocean Beach	$1,010	85	$255
Ocosta	$966	109	$250
Odessa	$801	241	$253
Okanogan	$885	180	$252
Olympia	$1,180	7	$256
Omak	$913	155	$252
Onalaska	$954	119	$249
Orcas	$1,013	81	$271
Orondo	$805	237	$249
Oroville	$834	223	$250
Orting	$908	160	$253
Othello	$894	177	$252
Palouse-Garfield	$921	146	$256
Pasco	$1,098	27	$258
Pateros	$841	217	$250
Pe Ell	$1,026	68	$1,026
Peninsula	$1,047	48	$256
Pioneer	$795	247	$249
Port Angeles	$855	204	$251
Port Townsend	$959	115	$254
Prescott	$846	213	$250
Prosser	$822	229	$250
Pullman	$867	195	$254
Puyallup	$1,011	83	$255
Quilcene	$843	215	$250
Quinault Lake	$966	110	$250
Quincy	$922	144	$253
Rainier	$1,032	60	$252
Raymond	$946	125	$249
Reardan-Edwall	$813	235	$253
Renton	$1,037	52	$256
Republic	$837	220	$254
Richland	$1,119	20	$259
Ridgefield	$900	166	$251
Ritzville	$837	221	$254
Riverside	$1,017	76	$259
Riverview	$998	91	$255
Rochester	$1,018	74	$251
Rosalia	$910	157	$256
Royal	$880	188	$251
San Juan Island	$1,061	41	$272
Seattle	$1,069	39	$264
Sedro-Woolley	$1,145	13	$274
Selah	$969	101	$254
Selkirk	$865	197	$254
Sequim	$869	194	$251
Shelton	$1,014	79	$251
Shoreline	$1,180	8	$260
Skykomish	$1,055	43	$257
Snohomish	$1,172	10	$260
Snoqualmie	$1,079	35	$257
Soap Lake	$973	99	$254
South Bend	$926	141	$248
South Kitsap	$1,087	30	$258
South Whidbey	$965	113	$269
Southside	$792	249	$249
Spokane	$896	170	$259
Stanwood	$1,202	2	$276
Steilacoom	$938	133	$938
Stevenson-Carson	$846	214	$250
Sultan	$1,019	73	$256
Sumner	$997	92	$267
Sunnyside	$953	120	$254
Tacoma	$1,001	90	$255
Taholah	$1,012	82	$251
Tahoma	$1,026	64	$256
Tenino	$1,098	25	$254
Thorp	$919	151	$253
Toledo	$1,026	69	$251
Tonasket	$829	225	$250
Toppenish	$876	190	$251
Touchet	$822	230	$250
Toutle Lake	$955	117	$254
Trout Lake	$895	175	$252
Tukwila	$1,027	62	$257
Tumwater	$1,188	5	$249
Union Gap	$931	136	$253
University Place	$974	98	$254
Vancouver	$975	97	$254
Vashon Island	$922	143	$253
Wahkiakum	$875	191	$251
Wahluke	$918	152	$253
Waitsburg	$822	231	$250
Walla Walla	$1,013	80	$255
Wapato	$943	129	$253
Warden	$934	134	$934
Washougal	$906	164	$251
Washtucna	$829	224	$829
Wellpinit	$837	222	$254
Wenatchee	$1,141	15	$259
West Valley (Spo)	$981	95	$258
West Valley (Yak)	$948	122	$253
White Pass	$978	96	$250
White River	$895	171	$253
White Salmon	$859	202	$251
Wilbur	$801	242	$253
Willapa Valley	$927	139	$248
Wilson Creek	$805	238	$249
Winlock	$1,086	31	$253
Wishkah Valley	$921	147	$248
Wishram	$884	182	$252
Woodland	$955	118	$254
Yakima	$1,075	38	$257
Yelm	$1,098	26	$254
Zillah	$971	100	$254

- Education, Washington

Jami Lund

Senior Policy Analyst

Jami Lund is the Freedom Foundation’s Senior Policy Analyst. From 2004 to 2011, he developed legislative policy as a research analyst for the Washington House Republican Caucus. Prior to that he worked for the Freedom Foundation as the Project Manager for the Teachers Paycheck Protection project, shepherding the development of the Foundation’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court case to protect teacher rights. Jami is an accomplished speaker and researcher, one of Washington state’s top scholars on education policy and finance.