Why Union, Why MSEA?

If the country’s economic recession has taught us anything, it is why we need a union like MSEA in the first place. Unions bring people together to fight for common goals—fairness, respect, job safety and security, better wages and benefits, and more. But in rough economic times, these top-priority job concerns for employees take a back seat for employers.

You’ve seen how county councils and state lawmakers look to relieve their budgets by cutting school funding, staff, and important services and programs.

Salary freezes, furloughs, and assaults on educators’ pensions are frightening.

It is MSEA—and only MSEA—that protects and defends educators’ rights in the workplace, advocates for educators in the offices of delegates and senators, and provides the tools and resources for educators to take charge of their profession.

 

Why are unions important in general?

• Union workers earn 30% more than nonunion workers.
• 68% of union workers have guaranteed pension vs. 14% of nonunion workers.
• More than 97% of union workers have jobs that provide health insurance benefits vs. 85% of nonunion workers.

Your profession—your voice

MSEA’s job is to clear the way—to optimize your working conditions by making sure you have the resources you need, are treated fairly on the job, and receive the pay, benefits, and retirement you deserve. Your goal is to make a difference in the lives of children; our goal is to make sure you can.

Unions like MSEA were created to organize workers, giving them strength in numbers and a stronger, more powerful voice in the workplace. It is because of unions that we have a 40-hour work week, the power to negotiate contracts, paid vacations, pensions, and safe working environments. MSEA’s 70,000 members are considered the most influential employees in Maryland for good reason—our input is respected and solicited on the important issues that define your job.

 

How MSEA helps

There’s no doubt about it —the 2011 General Assembly was a difficult and tense legislative session. With our eye on the long term, MSEA organized educators to protest against the proposed cuts and pension changes that would be felt by every student and educator in every school in the state.

Using traditional organizing methods, as well as newer online tools like Facebook and Twitter, MSEA and local associations generated thousands of emails, phone calls, and petition signatures protesting the cuts. And we organized more than 15,000 people to march to the State House in our Keep the Promise Rally. Much of the education budget was restored, but legislators refused to back down from the proposed changes to pensions. MSEA continues to work to protect and improve the promised benefit of a decent retirement for educators.

Organizing educators in ways that promote success for both the profession and students is part of MSEA’s mission. Unions like MSEA work from the ground up to mobilize members, spreading the word from local associations to school buildings to individuals. Through our members’ activism, we have achieved important victories, including historic increases in school funding and collective bargaining rights for ESPs.

MSEA MEMBERS	NON-MEMBERS
Voting rights to approve or disapprove your employment contract.	No vote on critical issues that directly impact your earnings, working conditions, and profession.
Professional representation from attorneys and MSEA’s highly trained UniServ Directors for workplace issues at the school and/or board of education level.	No legal services or protection and no professional representation for workplace issues.
$1,000,000 liability insurance per incident.	No insurance coverage to protect you from false accusations.
Your voice is added to MSEA’s 70,000—and NEA’s 3.2 million—members to influence local, state, and national policy and programs.	Individuals acting alone face enormous obstacles to impacting policy and programs at any level.
Individuals acting alone face enormous obstacles to impacting policy and programs at any level.	The extensive member resources of the world’s largest professional association are not available to you.
Exclusive savings on auto and home insurance, life insurance programs (a $15,000 policy is included your first year), credit cards, and investment programs.	You pay full price.