North Carolina’s teachers union is suing the legislature after lawmakers met late at night in special session to approve legislation that will prevent union members from voluntarily choosing to have union dues automatically deducted from their paychecks.

 

The bill only applies to state unions with more than 40,000 members, of which, in the state of North Carolina, there is only one…the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE). This led it to be dubbed “the Anti-NCAE Bill.” The proposed law was adopted during the regular legislative session. But Democratic Governor Bev Purdue vetoed the legislation, prompting Republican lawmakers to attempt an override. That effort failed.

 

So GOP legislators used a special session called to address Purdue’s veto of a different bill to try again, and this time they collected enough votes to override Purdue’s veto of the anti-union measure.

 

The NCAE contends that lawmakers violated the state Constitution when they hastily approved a post-midnight extension to the special session to reconsider the anti-teachers union bill.

 

Labor leaders say the new law, if left to stand, will cripple the union’s ability to raise funds.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

Teachers Say N.C. Violated the Constitution (by Dan McCue, Courthouse News Service)

GOP Overrides Veto of Bill to Weaken Teachers Group (by John Frank, Raleigh News & Observer)