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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Marine: Union bullying me to pay $500 |
| 2010-06-08 |
| A retired U.S. Marine who runs a high school ROTC program in Worcester says he faces the boot for refusing to pay local union dues, leaving the 58-year-old father of two crying foul and school administrators bewildered. “It just seems crazy that they're gonna fire me over $500,' said Maj. Stephen L. Godin, senior naval science instructor at the Naval Junior ROTC Unit of North High School. “Everyone's talking about finding good teachers - I haven't missed a day in 14 years.' Indeed, North High School Principal Matthew Morse praised Godin yesterday as an “excellent' instructor who has turned his program into a top junior ROTC academy. Godin, a 20-year Marine veteran until 1994, who flew F-4 Phantoms and was deployed five times, said he refuses to join the union because he receives all his benefits, including health insurance and half his salary, from the military. Unlike other teachers, he doesn't earn a stipend for after-school activities, such as the hours he spends coaching the high school's regional champion drill team. His salary is dictated by the U.S. Military, not labor negotiators, Godin said. Officials from the Education Association of Worcester did not return repeated calls, and the Massachusetts Teachers Association declined comment. State law requires certain public employees to join unions as a condition of employment or pay a so-called agency fee, which goes toward the cost of collective bargaining. But Godin said he shouldn't have to pay the $500 fee because he receives no benefit from the local union. He provided a letter from the local union demanding he join or pay the fee by the school year's end. Godin said in 14 years of teaching in Worcester public schools, he's never been asked to pony up for the union. “I've always worked hard,' he said. “I'm a loyal Marine. Now they're chasing me away.' Worcester schools superintendent Melinda J. Boone said she has asked the district attorney to investigate a way to keep Godin on board, but added, “this is really a union matter.' |
| Posted by:Delphi |
| #11 I'm not an attorney but it seems like this Marine might have a law case; e.g. discrimination or unlawful dismisal. These laws requiring union membership for a job ought to be tested--again and again if necessary. There is probably some former Jag officer working in private practice who would take such a case pro bono. There are most likely a lot of people who would support this Marine financially in his cause. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-06-08 16:23 |
#10 BTW: forcing someone to pay 500$ to an organization isn(t it the same than what the mob did to shopkeepers for "protection". Here in the US, there is a large amount of overlap between the staffs of unions and mobs. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2010-06-08 14:16 |
| #9 "this is really a union matter." And we all know that "union matters" transcend common sense. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2010-06-08 13:37 |
| #8 State law requires certain public employees to join unions as a condition of employment That is simply unthinkable in France: public employees are recruited through a collective examination and the written parts are proofred under anonimity (ie examintaor doesn't know who is the candidate). Of course for the oral part exmainators have more leeway but 80 to 90% of candidates don't make to the oral part. They are eliminated in the written part of the examination. BTW: forcing someone to pay 500$ to an organization isn(t it the same than what the mob did to shopkeepers for "protection". |
| Posted by: JFM 2010-06-08 12:40 |
| #7 When military people are hassled by civilians, they need to go to the military to sort things out for them. There are a LOT of military bureaucrats who live for these sorts of fights, and like their combat brethren, they are not in the habit of losing. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-06-08 11:56 |
| #6 His salary is dictated by the U.S. Military, not labor negotiators... Which is a key part. Who funds the paycheck. IIRC its the feds. The Junior ROTC program is a Title X United State Code institution and therefore is outside the authority and purview of the union. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-06-08 11:21 |
| #5 Public Unions should be banned. I see no need for a 'teachers union' except to protect the bad teachers from being fired. It isn't like the school district has been abusing teachers before unions came along. And requiring membership (like in Washington State) should also be banned. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-06-08 11:19 |
| #4 So....the unions can hire and fire in that school district? |
| Posted by: tipover 2010-06-08 11:14 |
| #3 Worcester is a cesspool ... of union thuggery (among other things). It well deserves its nickname of Wormtown. |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2010-06-08 11:00 |
| #2 Public unions--a large part of the problem. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-06-08 10:49 |
| #1 Welcome to Obambia. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-06-08 10:35 |