To opt out of AFT 6049 dues:
1. Enter your information into the form below and click “submit.”
2. On the resulting page, click the link to open your customized form. You will also receive an email with a link to your form.
3. Print the form. If you check the appropriate box about needing a printed version, we’ll mail you a copy of the form.
4. Sign and date the form.
5. Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.
An affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Tulsa AFT Local 6049 (Tulsa AFT) is the designated union for certain teachers and other public school employees in Oklahoma.
For years, public employees in many states have been forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, allowing unions to take their members for granted. However, because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Janus v. AFSCME, public employees can no longer be required to financially support a labor union against their will.
The court ruled that the mandatory dues requirement violated workers’ First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association, and that public employees have the right to choose for themselves whether to pay any union dues or fees.
Membership in Tulsa AFT is optional for Tulsa school employees. You can opt out of union dues by filling out the form above, printing it and mailing it to the union.
Frequently Asked Questions
Completing the form above will generate a letter you can send to Tulsa AFT – Local 6049 to resign your formal union membership and cease paying dues.
Send a signed copy of your letter to:
American Federation of Teachers
Tulsa AFT – Local 6049
907 S Detroit Ave., Ste 1135
Tulsa, OK 74120-4296
It is recommended that you send the letter via certified mail so you have proof of delivery.
It may be necessary to take steps to end your deduction with your bank or credit card if you are paying using those methods.
Dues for are a few hundred dollars with about a third sent to Washington, D.C. for the American Federation of Teachers, and the rest is for the local association, the state council, and AFL-CIO affiliates. AFT membership is “unified,” meaning one is not allowed to be a member of just the local association without also joining and funding the AFT.
People have many reasons for not wanting to support the union. Some simply do not believe the services the union provides are worth the dues it charges. Others may find the union’s one-size-fits-all agenda does not serve them well because they are new to the profession, have a specialty that is not acknowledged in bargaining, or they believe their effectiveness is undercompensated. Some resent the union’s role in enabling and defending underperforming employees. Many find the union’s political activity and use of dues to advance partisan causes, candidates and ideology distasteful. Still others believe that union officials are corrupt and unaccountable to their membership.
Unions representing public employees are not governed by the usual consumer protection or anti-trust laws, so abuses are common. Unions can charge whatever they wish. They can spend dues money on anything they want. Often, they do not have to disclose how dues money is spent to members. They can speak for employees without consulting or informing them. They can injure some members’ interests while advancing the interests of others. Unions even have the ability to prevent employees from getting help in their workplace from other sources. They are not governed by any obligation to provide quality service, and almost never have to seek approval of the people they represent in an election to continue as the exclusive representative.
Sometimes people have a faith-based objection to unions’ expenditures. To learn more about some of the major public unions’ expenditures in light of common faith beliefs, click here.
AFT Local 6049
According to reports the union must file with the IRS, AFT 6049 collected $180,000 during calendar year 2020.
Additionally, as of December 2020, AFT 6049 has accumulated a stockpile of $70,761 in cash, savings and investments.
AFT 6049’s most recent IRS 990 reports are available here.
A portion of the dues paid by AFT 6049 members goes to support AFT Oklahoma.
AFT Oklahoma
AFT Oklahoma collected $817,000 in dues and fees from its members in fiscal year 2022, according to reports it files with the IRS.
In 2022 alone:
- $371,310 went to affiliate organizations, including the AFT headquarters in Washington, D.C.
- $5,200 was spent on conferences, conventions, and meetings.
- $312,000 was reported in spare cash assets.
AFT Oklahoma’s most recent 990 reports are available here.
A portion of the dues paid by AFT 6049 members also goes to support the AFT national headquarters.
American Federation of Teachers
According to reports that the union must file with the U.S. Department of Labor, AFT National collected $212 million from its members and affiliates during fiscal year 2022.
In that same year:
- $35.8 million was spent by AFT on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
- $7.1 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
- $3.9 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff.
- $10 million was spent on private attorneys and consultants.
- $211,000 was spent on food and catering.
AFT paid 385 officers and employees in 2022. Of those, 251 were compensated six figures including AFT president Rhonda Weingarten received $487,000.
AFT’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018.