To opt out of IEA 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.
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) is the designated union for approximately 135,000 teachers, school support staff and higher education faculty throughout Illinois.
For years, public employees in Illinois have been forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, allowing unions like the IEA to take their members for granted. However, because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Janus v. AFSCME (2018), 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.
You can opt out of IEA dues by filling out the form above, printing it and mailing it to the union.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should receive some acknowledgement of your request from the union within a few weeks.
In most cases, union dues are automatically deducted from employees’ paychecks. Monitor your paychecks to make sure the dues deductions stop. If the deductions continue for more than a couple pay periods after submitting your opt-out request, contact the union.
Finally, keep in mind:
Opting out is your constitutional right. However, unions like the IEA sometimes place restrictions on when they will accept opt-out requests. If the union refuses to immediately cancel dues deductions from your pay, ask them to provide you with written documentation and contact us for assistance.
According to federal filings, IEA dues are between $60 and $568 per year. This does not include what members pay in dues to NEA and local unions.
Yes. The IEA has arranged to be the “exclusive representative” of its bargaining units, meaning it is impossible for workers to get out of the terms of the contract, even if they cease paying dues.
In exchange for the monopoly on this particular service, the IEA is legally obligated to represent all employees in the workplace, including those who choose not to join the union as members.
The collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the union and your employer will continue to set the terms and conditions of your employment and the union will continue to represent you in grievances, contract enforcement, discipline assistance or other proceedings governed by the collective bargaining agreement.
No. Under state law, a union contract is binding on all employees in a bargaining unit, regardless of whether they are technically union “members.” Your compensation, health benefits, retirement, and anything else governed by the collective bargaining agreement will remain unchanged if you opt out of the IEA.
While the terms of the contract will still govern your employment, union officials commonly prohibit nonmembers from participating in internal union affairs, such as attending union meetings, voting for union officers or participating in contract ratification votes. You’ll also be ineligible for any special “members only” benefits, such as discounts on additional insurance, scholarship programs, or deals the union has arranged with businesses. You may no longer receive the union newsletter or similar publications.
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.
Many unions allow opt outs at various times throughout the year. However, in their union membership contracts, a number of unions have stipulated certain times during the year (“windows”) when they will allow or process opt-out requests.
Opt-out requests for IEA must be submitted before their window cut-off date of September 15th. Although this is the date that the union has specified for processing opt-outs, you can certainly fill-out an opt-out request at Opt Out Today any time throughout the year.
Illinois Education Association
IEA collected $54.2 million in dues and fees from its members in fiscal year 2025, according to reports the union is required to file with the U.S. Dept. of Labor.
In fiscal year 2025 alone:
- $2 million was spent by IEA on political activity and lobbying.
- $840,445 was spent on hotels, conferences, and conventions.
- $3.1 million was spent on union-ideologically led coaching and mentoring programs instead of direct support for classrooms or students.
- $2.3 million was spent on landlord fees over the fiscal year.
IEA paid 334 officers and employees in fiscal year 2025, 115 of whom were paid six figures. IEA President Albert Llorens was compensated $269,226.
Also, as of June 2025, IEA has accumulated a stockpile of $44.7 million in spare cash.
IEA’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
A portion of the dues paid by IEA members goes to support the National Education Association.
National Education Association
According to federal filings that the union is required to submit to the Department of Labor, NEA headquarters collected over $381 million from local affiliates through member dues in 2024.
In 2024 alone:
- $40.4 million was spent by NEA HQ on divisive political candidates, lobbying, and support for organizations engaged in political causes.
- $16.2 million was paid or contributed to largely ideologically driven organizations.
- $18.4 million was spent on conferences, events, and catering throughout the year.
- $13.7 million was spent on airfare, hotels, and travel. This figure includes a total amount of $1,117,652 charged at Caesar’s resort collection in Las Vegas, NV.
NEA HQ paid 693 employees in 2024, with 419 receiving six-figure salaries. NEA HQ’s President, Rebecca Pringle, was paid $481,161.
As of 2024, NEA HQ has accumulated a cash stockpile of $146,331,184.
NEA HQ’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020.