Liability insurance is often touted as a major union perk, yet it makes up only a sliver of teacher union spending.
Recent financial reports show that Education Minnesota — the state teachers’ union — allocates less than 0.2 percent of its overall spending to this coverage. The liability insurance, provided through one of the union’s national affiliates, the National Education Association, is itemized at $111,526 — a tiny fraction of Education Minnesota’s $67.9 million budget.
Such a small allocation should raise questions among its members about where the union is directing the rest of its funds. Annual dues were increased again this year, and cost teacher members around $1,000. Dues are paid to a local union, Education Minnesota, and two national affiliates — the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. The local union, responsible for the day-to-day representational activities and collective bargaining, receives the smallest portion of members’ dues.
For teachers primarily concerned with legal protection, there are non-union, non-political professional educator associations that offer liability insurance plans at a fraction of the cost of union dues. These policies provide the same protections against legal claims without requiring teachers to participate in or endorse union politics or advocacy campaigns they may not support. As such, this can be an attractive alternative, offering peace of mind and coverage that is more directly tied to their professional needs rather than the union’s political priorities.
Moreover, some teachers are increasingly motivated by a desire for greater personal and professional autonomy. They may feel that union membership obligates them to support positions, initiatives, or political candidates that do not fully align with their own views or circumstances.
Learning that comparable coverage is available for only a fraction of the price may make membership feel less essential. Perhaps this discovery is one of the reasons union membership has continued to decline since the U.S. Supreme Court freed educators from having to financially support the union in order to do their job.
While the annual opt-out window for this year has passed (it runs Sept. 1-Sept. 30), Minnesota educators will get the opportunity again next fall to separate their professional identity from collective stances they may not agree with. With more flexible, lower-cost options providing the protections and resources educators need — and with rising dues prompting more teachers to explore these alternatives — the gradual but noticeable shift in membership patterns may well continue.
