To opt out of KEA 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.
- Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.
*Please note: If you are currently paying KEA 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.Preview (opens in a new tab)
The Kentucky Education Association (KEA) is one of the state’s largest unions for teachers and other public school employees, representing over 44,000 certified educators and classified education support professionals across the commonwealth of Kentucky.
In the past, public employees in Kentucky could be forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, allowing unions like KEA to take their members for granted. However, because Kentucky is now a “right-to-work” state, public employees can no longer be required to financially support a labor 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 KEA 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 pay periods after submitting your opt-out request, contact the union.
*Please note: If you are currently paying KEA 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 KEA 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.
KEA dues for full-time teachers are currently $621 per year, plus $200 in National Education Association (NEA) dues and your local association dues.
No. Only a handful of school districts in Kentucky have collective bargaining agreements with unions. Most, if not all, of these agreements recognize the union as the “exclusive representative” of all employees covered by the agreement, regardless of their formal union membership status. As a result, the terms of the union’s agreement apply equally to all employees, even if they cease paying dues.
In districts without collective bargaining agreements, your employer is responsible for the terms and conditions of your employment.
In both cases, your compensation, health benefits, retirement, and anything else provided by the district will remain unchanged if you opt out of KEA.
While the terms of your employment will remain unchanged, 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.
KEA
According to reports the union must file with the IRS, KEA collected $9.09 million in dues and fees from its members in fiscal year 2021.
In that year alone:
- $404,400 was spent on office expenses
- $329,300 was spent on travel
- $95,300 was spent on equipment rental and maintenance.
KEA paid at least 7 employees in calendar year 2021, 7 of whom were paid six figures. Executive Director Mary Ruble was paid $239,324.
As of August 2022, KEA has accumulated a stockpile $3.47 millions in savings and temporary cash investments.
The IRS requires unions’ 990 tax return to be a public document, and these can be found online at sites like this. KEA reports using the Employer Identification Number (EIN) 61-0245450.
A portion of the dues paid by KEA members goes to support the National Education Association, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
National Education Association
According to its filings with the U.S. Dept. of Labor, NEA collected $375 million from its members in fiscal year 2022. In that year alone:
- $41.6 million was spent on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
- $120 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations. This included $270,000 donated to the Democracy Alliance, a radical left organization founded by George Soros. NEA also gave $450,000 to the Strategic Victory Fund, a super PAC that has financially supported Planned Parenthood.
- $11.2 million was spent on travel for union staff and hotel venues, including $1.4 million for a conference at the Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas.
- $19.9 million was spent on legal and consulting services.
- $311,492 was spent on food and catering.
NEA paid 694 officers and employees in 2022, 429 of whom were paid six figures. NEA president Rebecca Pringle received $449,537.
NEA’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016