A new report from State Auditor Beth Wood says the agency has not been able to certify that the North Carolina Association of Educators meets statutory membership (G.S. 143B-426.40(g) requirements to permit the state to perform payroll dues deductions. According to the report:
We were unable to obtain the total membership count and type of membership count from the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE). The NCAE refused to furnish the information. We do not have the authority to compel NCAE to turn over this information because, as a private entity, NCAE does not fall under the authority of the State Auditor.
This is the third year in a row NCAE has refused to furnish the information for certification.
The State Auditor has no authority to compel NCAE – a private organization — to furnish the information. Yet the state continues to provide services to the organization even though it refuses to comply with the law.
According to the Auditor’s report North Carolina provides payroll dues deduction for about 45,000 employees, 6,400 of which are NCAE employees.
There is no reason why the state should provide administrative services for a private entity. The logical solution to this problem is to end the practice altogether,
SB 375, sponsored by Sen. Ralph Hise was crafted to do just that; end the collection of all payroll dues deductions. The bill passed the Senate but died in the House.
Why wouldn’t NCAE cooperate with the State Auditor? The only reason not to is that NCAE membership in North Carolina is below 40,000, a fact that has been reported by teacher union watcher Mike Antonucci for a number of years.
Legislators have turned a blind eye to these realities for three years. The failure of to address the wrongdoing is beginning to say more about lawmakers than about the NCAE.
The real question is why do Republicans and NCCivitas not want to help teachers by allowing them the choice of an easy method of dues payment. Mean spirited at best….
George, ever heard of checking account drafts? Guess that requires NCAE members to think and act as individuals versus relying on an employer to do it for them.
I got it. It is the teachers, not the organization, that NCCivitas has disdain for!
Let get rid of those automatic deductions for 401k , 457 plans while we are at it.
…about those payroll deduction for NC State Troopers….
There is some ” phony baloney ” here & when I read this a union controlled situation.. Are we talking about maybe alot of $$$$$ funds from the teachers for the teachers.. ” Buyer Beware ” !!!!!!!!! What about outside audits. Civitas may need to help these 40K teachers, but something is not right here !!!!!! Thanks SCW. a Vietnam Era Vet. 1965-1971….
well, lets’ see George. my 401k and other automatic deductions go into MY pot, not some Union activists pockets, who have little or no accountability to the donars. duh.
Tony and Steve, NCAE is not a union. You’re listening to a lot of phoney baloney from Civitas on this. NCAE lobbies for teachers much as the ADA lobbies for dentists, the AMA lobbies for doctors, the ABA lobbies for lawyers. Republican legislators have ginned this up in their disrespect for teachers and Civitas has played a big part in it. Deductions are also made for United Way, 401k and retirement plan, healthcare, and our taxes, among other things.
Furthermore, Tony, teachers choose to join NCAE and pay dues. It isn’t deducted unless a teacher makes the choice.
If it’s not a union why do you pay dues.I got it ,it’s a way to beat the law of North Carolina.