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.
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The Idaho Education Association (IEA) is the largest union for teachers and other public-school employees in Idaho, representing approximately 10,000 educators.
Those who find themselves in a union-represented workplace should know that Idaho law has long protected public employees from being forced to financially support a union against their will. Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Janus v. AFSCME reaffirmed that all public employees have a constitutional 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 many 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 of pay periods after submitting your opt-out request, contact the union.
*Please note: If you are currently paying IEA dues via automatic credit card or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payments from your bank, you should also contact your bank directly to stop the payments.
Finally, keep in mind:
Opting out is your constitutional right. However, unions like 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 its online membership form, IEA dues are approximately $900 per year.
Yes. If you are represented by a union, then it has arranged to be the “exclusive representative” of educators in your district, meaning the terms of the union contract continue to govern your employment even if you cease paying dues.
In exchange for the monopoly on this particular service, 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. Any employer-provided compensation, health benefits, retirement, and anything else provided by the district will remain unchanged if you opt out of 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.
In Idaho, while many school districts provide liability insurance to protect their staff, the specifics of this coverage can vary.
If you are a member of the National Education Association (NEA), you have access to their Educators Employment Liability (EEL) Program, which provides extra coverage. If you leave the union, you will lose access to this specific insurance.
However, organizations like the Association of American Educators and the Christian Educators Association International offer professional liability insurance that matches or even exceeds what unions provide. These organizations often have lower membership costs and focus on supporting educators without union affiliation.
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.
Idaho Education Association (IEA)
The Idaho Education Association (IEA) is the largest teachers’ union in Idaho, representing thousands of educators across the state. The union collects millions of dollars in membership dues annually, but how does that money get spent?
According to the IEA’s most recent financial filings, IEA collected $3.83 million in dues from its members in fiscal year 2022.
In that same year, at least:
- $126,165 was spent on grants and similar amounts paid.
- $3.66 million went toward salaries, benefits, and other compensation.
- $88,879 was spent on legal expenses.
- $401,990 was spent on travel for union staff.
- $17,961 was spent on conferences, conventions, and meetings.
IEA President Layne McInelly received $199,645 in compensation, while Executive Director Paul Stark was paid $201,614, in total compensation.
The union currently has cash reserves of $7.54 million.
As part of its affiliation with the National Education Association (NEA), a portion of IEA members’ dues also go to supporting the national union, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
National Education Association
According to its filings with the U.S. Dept. of Labor, NEA collected $381 million from its members in fiscal year 2024. In that year alone:
- $79 million was spent on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
- $127 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations. The NEA donated $310,000 to the Democracy Alliance, a left-wing organization founded by George Soros. Additionally, the union contributed $500,000 to Future Forward USA Action, a super PAC that spent 99.85% of its expenditures supporting liberal candidates and causes, including Kamala Harris’ run for president in 2024.
- $4.4 million was spent on travel for union staff, events and hotel venues, including $883K in airline flights alone.
- $1.5 million was spent on legal and consulting services.
- $11.6 million was spent on mostly progressive social welfare organizations.
NEA paid 699 officers and employees in 2024, 411 of whom were paid six figures. NEA president Rebecca Pringle received $481,161 in total compensation.
NEA’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2024, 2023, 2022