NYSUT

To opt out of NYSUT dues:

Enter your information into the form below and click “submit.”
On the resulting page, click the link to open your customized form. You will also receive an email with a link to your form.
Print the form. If you check the appropriate box about needing a printed version, we’ll mail you a copy of the form.
Sign and date the form, and make two copies.
Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.
Provide a copy to your employer’s payroll officer and keep a copy for your files.

NYSUT is the designated union for those employed by schools, early learning centers, higher education, health and other government employees across New York.

For years, public employees in New York have been forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment, allowing unions to take their members for granted. However, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that public employees can no longer be required to financially support a labor union against their will. (Janus v. AFSCME, 2018).

“States and public-sector unions may no longer extract [funds] from nonconsenting employees. . . . This procedure violates the First Amendment and cannot continue.”

Consequently, public employees may decline to pay these private organizations without losing their jobs or employer-provided benefits.

It is important to know that NYSUT might continue to automatically withhold dues from employees’ pay even if they never signed up for membership in the first place. The best way to ensure the deductions stop is to submit a request to the union in writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens after I send my resignation to the union?

You should receive some acknowledgement of your request from the union within a few weeks.

Because it has a financial interest in continuing to withhold dues from your pay, the union may contact you and attempt to persuade you to keep your membership. Their sales pitch may include untrue claims and scare tactics. It is a good idea to try to document any questionable claims made by union representatives. Do not be bullied! If you stand your ground, there is nothing the union can do to retaliate against you for opting out.

Monitor your paychecks to make sure the dues deductions stop. Contact the union if the deductions continue more than a couple paychecks after you submit your resignation request.

Some unions have tricked employees into signing membership forms with fine print waiving their right to resign except during a short annual window period. If the union claims you signed such a form and therefore cannot cancel the dues deductions from your pay, ask to be provided with documentation that you ever signed such an agreement.

How much are NYSUT dues?

According to federal filings, NYSUT charges up to $378 per year in dues. This typically does not include the additional dues charged by AFT, NEA and NYSUT’s local unions.

Will the union continue to represent me if I opt out?

Yes. NYSUT has been empowered by the state to represent those in your workplace. Employees are not allowed to negotiate their own compensation or handle their own grievances with their employer, nor can they hire another person or entity to represent them.

In exchange for this unusual benefit, NYSUT is legally obligated to represent all employees in the workplace, including those who choose not to join the union as members.

Consequently, 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.

Will I lose wages, health care, retirement or other benefits if I opt out?

No. All provisions of the collective bargaining agreement between the union and your employer will continue to govern your employment. Your wages, health benefits, retirement and anything else governed by the collective bargaining agreement will remain unchanged if you opt out of NYSUT.

How will my relationship with the union change if I opt out?

While the terms of the collective bargaining agreement will still govern your employment, as a nonmember, the union may choose to prevent you from participating in internal union affairs, such as attending union meetings or voting in union elections, including contract ratification votes. Unions also commonly withhold any special “members-only” deals or discounts the union has arranged for with businesses. You may no longer receive the union newsletter or similar publications.

Why do people opt out of the union?

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.

How does the union spend my dues money?

NYSUT

NYSUT collected $138.4 million in dues and fees from its members in fiscal year 2020, according to reports the union must file with the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

In 2020 alone:

$87.6 million went to AFT- and NEA-affiliated organizations, including the national headquarters of both unions, furthering their massive political, economic and social agendas. The AFT and NEA headquarters both support a host of controversial organizations.
$9.3 million was spent by NYSUT on political activities and lobbying.
$381,100 was paid or contributed to a variety of outside organizations.
$1.8 million was spent on attorneys and private consultants.
$1.7 million was spent on airfare, hotel venues and travel for union staff. This includes $210,800 on hosting a union conference at a four-star Hilton hotel in New Jersey.
$125,200 was spent on food and catering.

NYSUT paid 533 officers and employees in 2020, 275 of whom were paid six figures. President Andrew Pallotta received $307,056.

As of mid-2020, NYSUT holds $94.8 million in cash reserves. Of that amount, $18.7 million was accumulated just in fiscal year 2020.

NYSUT’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016

A portion of the dues paid by NYSUT members goes to support the American Federation of Teachers.

American Federation of Teachers

The AFT headquarters collected $186 million from its members in fiscal year 2020.

$31.3 million was spent by AFT on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying. This includes a $150,000 contribution to Emily’s List, an organization whose mission is to put Democratic, pro-abortion women into elected offices.
$8.5 million was paid or contributed to a variety of organizations, many of which are ideologically driven.
$5.6 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff. This includes $197,000 spent on a conference at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. AFT also paid $85,000 for limousine and luxury chauffeuring services.
$9.7 million was spent on private attorneys and consultants.
$84,000 was spent on food and catering.

AFT paid 374 officers and employees in 2020, 235 of whom were paid six figures. AFT president Rhonda Weingarten received $453,000.

AFT’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

Lastly, a portion of the dues paid by NYSUT members also goes to support the National Education Association, headquartered in Washington, D.C.

National Education Association

NEA collected $375 million from its members in fiscal year 2020.

$50.7 million was spent on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
$120 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations. This includes $150,000 donated to the Advancement Project, an organization that actively supports efforts to “wholly dismantle” the police and prison system. NEA also gave $17 million to the Strategic Victory Fund, a super PAC that has financially supported Planned Parenthood.
$9.2 million was spent on travel for union staff and hotel venues, including $596,000 for a conference at a four-star Hilton hotel in Orlando, FL.
$10 million was spent on attorneys and private consultants.
$431,300 was spent on food and catering.

NEA paid 693 officers and employees in 2020, 403 of whom were paid six figures. NEA president Lily Eskelsen Garcia received $416,568.

NEA’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.