But there's a problem with these results, according to some DFT members. DFT bylaws call for a runoff if no candidate wins a majority. Candidate Zavisa is consulting a lawyer. A teacher in Livonia, Michigan, is giving a portion of his union dues to a charity instead of state and national unions after winning a year-long battle with the Livonia Education Association. Storm told The Detroit News that his religious beliefs do not agree with union positions that support abortion and birth control.
Unions spend portions of their member dues to support political causes.
Few teachers are aware of the law that allows religious and political objectors to opt out of paying dues that go toward political purposes. A citizens' group that includes almost 30 St. Louis pastors is proposing a plan that could create eight new charter schools, possibly quadrupling the number of children enrolled in charter schools in the Missouri city. The schools, which would be non-sectarian, would provide programs aimed at a variety of interests, such as math and science, technology, the arts, and vocational education. The local organizers said they felt an obligation to improve education in the city. Widmer has been union president for 20 years, and retirement benefits are paid out based on the average salary of a teacher's final three years.