DISTRICT 131 EAST AURORA COUNCIL
ILLINOIS FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, LOCAL 604
The reps say there are lots of benefits to being a union member. What exactly are they?
Each level of the union organization provides various benefits for members. We have provided some of the highlights for each level; however, to see a complete list of benefits, click on the blue title box for each level.
At the district and local levels, the union provides members with support in various ways:
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Union reps meet monthly with the principals, bringing up concerns from staff members. Those concerns are also relayed through our President to upper administration, including the superintendant and assistant superintendants. We follow up on those issues until they are addressed.
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Members who are concerned about any disciplinary issue or who have a direct concern with administration have the right to have a union rep present at any meeting. We will take notes and investigate any issues of apparent unfairness, try to gather further information, etc.
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If a union member has a grievance, Local 604 will provide support in the form of advice and, if needed, legal assistance.
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If a member is sued and Local 604 agrees that the person is being treated unfairly, it will provide an attorney to represent the member.
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Local 604 provides several classes each semester for professional development at extremely low rates. At East Aurora, these classes (and all other PD) can be used for lane advancement (per our current contract). Course information can be found in issues of Local 604 Update; issues are delivered to your school mailbox.
Scholarships & Loan Forgiveness:
Many people don't realize that IFT-AFT provides numerous scholarships, as well as information about federal scholarships and grants. Some are for members, some for the children of members and some are for students recommended by members.
Legal & Financial Assistance:
Various companies have specific benefit programs just for union members, such as rebates on home sales, financial planning.
Political Activism:
Most of the dues members pay go to support our lobbyists, who work tirelessly representing us at the state level. Because of them, we have not lost our pensions, and we still have caps on the number of special education students allowed in a class, among other things. Monies also go to support political candidates who will best support the principles we're working towards.
The AFT and AFL-CIO have worked hard to provide a number of discounts and freebies to their members. Several are connected to UnionPlus.org, which provides discounts to various unions and their members across the country--again, combining forces to garner the greatest benefit. Below are just a few of the benefits that union members can take advantage of.
Travel & Entertainment Discounts:
Union members can receive discounts on hotel rooms, theme parks (including Six Flags and Walt Disney World) , sporting events, theater, movie tickets, restaurants, Costco and more. Discounts on car and truck rental are also available. There are also numerous discounts for restaurant gift certificates through Restaurant.com.
Shopping Discounts:
Receive discounts on magazines, flowers, cars, computers, book, cosmetics, and even cell phone contracts.
Health & Insurance Discounts:
Union members are eligible for several discounts on insurance and health screenings. They also can receive discounts on health club memberships, including Curves, Anytime Fitness, and 24 Hour Fitness.
Educational Discounts:
If you have children getting ready for or going to college, discounts are available for ACT and SAT prep classes. ECampus.com also provides discounts on textbooks.
GREAT BENEFIT FOR TEACHERS! ShareMyLesson.com:
ShareMyLesson provides free lesson plans and resources for teachers. All are vetted by other teachers; many are already marked with the Common Core standards that the activity covers. Most also provide the modifiable documents for download In addition, the site allows users to save searches and favorite lessons and follow favoritie authors. SML also provides FREE professional development webinars.
Political Activism:
Much of the dues members pay go to support our lobbyists, who work tirelessly representing us at the state and federal levels. Federal lobbyists are currently working to help overhaul NCLB. Monies also go to support political candidates who will best support the principles we're working towards.
Not a Member?
East Aurora is a 'fair share" district, which means that if you are a teacher, support staff member, or office staff, you're already paying dues. The idea behind "fair share" is that since you share in the benefits that we help to negotiate, the support that we give staff members in issues with administration, and the work that the IFT and AFT does in support of education and its employees, you share in the support of those efforts as well.
However, the various benefits to being a member, including those listed above, make it well worth it to fill out the paperwork--especially since you're already paying dues!
If you're not sure whether you're a member or not, check your pay stub: does it say "Fair Share"? If you are still listed as Fair Share, contact your building rep or the President to request the necessary paperwork; it will take about 5 minutes to complete.