Why does union membership matter? On the latest episode of CEA’s podcast, Southington teacher Shawn Grindle shares the value he sees in union membership with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey.
From strong contracts, legal protections, and discounts to victories for Connecticut teachers—including improvements to teacher evaluation and WEP/GPO repeal—Grindle says every teacher benefits from CEA membership.
Grindle is a second career teacher who says he wouldn’t have even known about the Social Security penalties he faced before WEP/GPO repeal if it wasn’t for CEA. Now, thanks to union advocacy, he’ll be better off financially in retirement.
“I will never pay enough in dues to offset what I will make now that I’m eligible for my Social Security,” Dias says. “I will get back ten-fold whatever I paid in union dues.”
She adds, “Our union connection is our power. Together we have the power to make changes that we can’t achieve individually.”
Follow CEA on Instagram and/or Facebook to watch videos with other educators who are sharing their own stories about why CEA membership matters.
Listen to the podcast episode with Grindle below or wherever you get your podcasts.
