“I’ve received those mailers telling me I could save money by leaving the union, but I would never do that,” says Glastonbury second grade teacher Donna Lumia.
There are lots of reasons Lumia values her union membership, but a clear example of its importance was driven home earlier this year when Lumia faced issues with her 403(b) contributions. She had filled out forms letting the district know she wanted a set amount deposited into her retirement account every pay period, but when she went to file her 2025 taxes in early 2026, she noticed her taxable income was higher than anticipated. She realized her 403(b) deductions had stopped.
“I reached out to the district, who told me to contact the 403(b) provider. The 403(b) provider said to talk to the district,” Lumia says. That’s when she reached out to her union.
High school physics teacher Miles Lubben serves as the Glastonbury Education Association’s finance chair. Aside from helping set GEA’s budget and chairing the Negotiations Committee, he also makes sure he’s well informed about retirement, insurance, and other benefits members are entitled to.
“I need to be aware of our retirement plans, how to access them, how to make changes, who to contact at the district, and more,” he says.
“Miles was so fantastic,” Lumia raves. “I wanted to know if I could just transfer money from my bank account to my 403(b) to make up for the lost contributions, but he researched the matter and found out that the IRS doesn’t allow that, as those dollars have already been taxed.”
Lubben put together a spreadsheet to show Lumia’s missed contributions, researched what IRS regulations dictate as the remedy in a situation like this, and went back and forth between the district and the 403(b) provider to discover what caused the problem. It turned out that the district had inadvertently stopped contributions to Lumia’s 403(b) from her paycheck for all of 2025 and into 2026, until she flagged the issue.
“I couldn’t even believe how detail-oriented and patient Miles was while dealing with such a complex issue,” Lumia says. “Without someone like him going through and calculating and validating all those numbers, I’m not sure what would have happened.”
After doing his own research, Lubben reached out to CEA UniServ Rep Sharon Quinn, who connected him with CEA staff legal and finance experts to verify what he’d discovered. Lubben spoke with CEA General Counsel Adrienne DeLucca and Attorney Rebecca Mitchell as well as Chief Financial Officer Nick Valente.
“It’s spectacular to have access to those resources and conversations,” he says. “While our dues dollars go to work in ways that can be easily seen, there is also indispensable union help and tremendous value behind the scenes.”
“Everyone worked so hard to resolve the issue, and the district was amenable to using the information Miles put together,” Lumia says. “Ultimately, it was clear we had to follow the IRS regulations, and they required the district to contribute a portion of what should have come out of my paycheck to my 403(b), plus interest.”
Lumia certainly wishes she had noticed the district’s mistake earlier, but, as is the case for many educators balancing the demands of teaching with a busy life outside of school, she doesn’t always review her paystub. Fortunately, the legal guidance on this issue is clear. It doesn’t matter that Lumia didn’t catch the mistake right away; the district is obligated to make the situation right.
“It was amazing to be able to work with Miles as my union rep and advocate,” Lumia says. “It was a relief to have that support and not need to handle the issue all on my own.”
What to do when you face an issue
Lubben recommends that educators check their paystubs from time to time and that they reach out to HR and their union when something doesn’t look quite right.
“The person most affected is you,” he says. “The longer you let something sit, the harder it’s going to be to fix it. Reach out to HR if you see something odd, and if you don’t get the answer you need, contact your union rep.”
Unfortunately, some paycheck errors, including missed credits for military service and being placed on the wrong salary step, can’t be made right retroactively beyond a certain time period, so, Luben says, it’s vital to correct issues as soon as you notice them.
Even when HR is responsive and fixes an issue quickly, Lubben recommends keeping your union in the loop–espcially when the issue is one that other educators could also be facing.
“Often a single flagging lets us correct a problem that affects multiple people. Others who have the same issue might not have noticed it or might feel uncomfortable saying anything. Let us know even if a problem is successfully resolved.”
Lubben says that educators should be able to concentrate on their students and not have to become experts on their retirement plans or contract provisions. He and other union leaders are there precisely to assist when issues arise.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out to your union rep, even if a problem seems small–whether it be related to your paycheck or contract. We have members reach out and ask whether a practice violates our contract or past practices. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t, but we can then figure out what we’re able to help with, and it might also drive conversations during our next round of negotiations.”
He adds, “We’ve chosen to take on these roles; we want to help.”
