Maybe. School boards want to know how many employees the Association represents. Representing some of the workforce isn't enough. 60% isn't enough. Is the negotiations team representing the overwhelming majority, if not all, of the employees? If not, we all might lose in negotiations. Joining shows the school board that employees are together behind the negotiators.

Secondly, don't you feel a little guilty about being a freeloader? You, I said a freeloader. You know how much work some of the leadership puts in on negotiations and on representing you at meetings. What do you give them in return? Isn't it about time you pulled your weight?

Both of you need to join because you're guaranteed double benefits if you do. Membership isn't unlike an insurance policy. If one of you has an accident, it doesn't help if the other is covered. The same thing applies if one of you needs assistance from the Association. Membership benefits come with membership only. Unless both of you join, you are only giving half of your support to your own cause. We need strength and numbers to be successful. Both of you have a big stake in the success of your Association. Both of you should support it.

Fine! That's your privilege. But can you honestly say that you agree 100% with every activity of every organization to which you belong? If not, do you withhold your membership or do you give up your voting rights? Why don't you get active and help change the things you don't agree with?

A great deal of the information used by WCTA is obtained (without charge) from MSEA and/or NEA. Presumably someone could be employed to gather these statewide statistics, but I doubt that many would want to foot the bill.

If WCTA were to attempt to provide legislative contacts, local dues would be much higher - and just "writing letters to your legislative representatives" does not produce legislation. It takes a powerful legislative lobbying effort, which is provided by WCTA, MSEA and NEA. And then there are field services, publications, special services and more.

Wrong. You have a voice and a vote every time WCTA takes action. WCTA prides itself on being democratic and ensures fair representation for all its members.

If that were how everyone felt, we'd still be paying taxes on tea from England. Until employees organized, how many were dismissed for unfair reasons? Until employees organized and negotiated locally, where were salaries and benefits going? Until employees organized and entered the political arena, how many "letter writing campaigns"ended up in legislative wastebaskets?

While many people philosophically don't like to join organizations, not too many people want to turn back increases that Associations negotiations and lobbying have won. In short, most people would prefer to have it both ways - get the benefits without the membership fee.

Maybe it's time you gave some thought to supporting the organization that supports you in almost everything that affects your career.

Most occupational groups pay dues that are more than twice ours, even when employees earn considerably less. They do it because they realize that dues are an investment in their future welfare.

As a matter of fact, dues for the entire year are more than paid by the salary increase won by WCTA during the last negotiations. These dues pay for free legal protection, negotiations service, discount economic services and many other services. That's a small investment.

In fact, many members who take advantage of the MSEA benefits card and program care making up all or most of the cost of their dues in money savings, not to mention higher salaries and better fringe benefits. They can't afford not to join. Using the A+ Auto and/or Home insurance may be able to save you enough money to pay for your dues.

"You get what you pay for" and members are getting a good program. Specifically, the program provides services to its members - such as legal assistance, negotiations assistance, retirement consultation, and special service programs.

When we tell the school board our salaries have to go up to meet inflation, we have to be ready to see our own organization's costs go up, and they have.

You have a right to believe that, and you have a choice whether you want to contribute to the political action arm. Other employees who feel as you do join the organization, but don't support political activity. The important thing, however, is that they are staying in the organization and supporting not only other employees but themselves. None of your dues go toward political action. Those funds come from individual donations.

You should know, too, that whether we like school employees in politics or not, it's making a difference. Our members are being appointed to statewide committees and commissions. The political action are is proving that you only make things better when you work to make them better. Staying out of the system means you are ignoring those in the system - and we do not want to be ignored by politicians.

Every non-member gives the employer some hope that employees really aren't behind the bargaining team. That can hurt everyone. It can mean the difference between an agreement reached reasonably and a possible impasse while the school board tests the unity of the employees.

Individuals who do not join are freeloading off members who do. Those in the school system who pay and support negotiation services also pay to support salary gains for non-members. If non-members don't want to join, would they be willing to turn their salary gains back to WCTA to be distributed to the members who paid the freight?

At some point, straight talk is needed with the chronic non-joiner. Whether that non-joiner want to admit it or not, he or she is a parasite living off the commitment of members paying to support a strong organization. Whether they want to admit it or not, they are a possible reason why local school boards feel they can ignore legitimate employee demands.

The last thing a non-member ought to consider is the whole question of dropping out. We criticize students and others for dropping out, why not apply the same criteria to ourselves? if you don't like what the organization is doing, get inside and try to change it. If you drop out and pout, you just silence one more voice that could change the direction of the organization.

In short, we're all in this together, and the decision of one person to stay out of the organization has an impact on all of us. Maybe it is time we made that clear to non-members.