association representative handbook - Alabama Education ...

Additional Responses to Tough Questions1. “Membership costs too much. I can’tafford it.”• “How can you afford not to?”• “You pay only _____ a payday (week). What canyou buy for only _____ a payday (week)?”• “The cost of membership is less than the cost ofa Big Mac, a movie, a six-pack of Coke . . .” Equatethe daily amount to an item it would buy.• “Money is tight for most of us. We’re all on thesame salary schedule. Those of us who join thinkthe benefits outweigh the cost.”• “Membership can actually save you money if youtake advantage of AEA Member Benefitsopportunities.”• Show how members save money through AEAMember Benefits group buying.• One recruiter placed a copy of his first pay stubalongside a current stub on a sheet of paper toshow how much he’d gained in salary over theyears. On the same sheet of paper he wrote,“Thanks, to a large extent, to the AEA’s efforts.”• Cite salary increases over recent years andcredit association lobbying efforts. Show that duesare a good investment.• List protections and benefits members get 365days a year for just $______ per day in dues,such things as lobbying at the state and federallevels, policy enforcement, and defense in legalcases.• “What if you lose your job? You will need theAEA to represent you more than ever if you needyour salary, medical insurance, and retirementcredit from your job.”• “If you need an attorney to defend you againstcharges such as child abuse, how will you paythe bill?”• Remind AEA student program members thattheir membership dues entitle them to a creditthat will be deducted from their dues when theyjoin AEA as active members after graduation.• Equate dues to an investment.• Remind AEA retired members that theirmembership keeps them protected and involved.• “You aren’t buying services; you’re buying into acooperative.”• “You don’t wait until your house is on fire to buy fireinsurance.” Equate paying membership dues tobuying insurance.• NEA Dues Tab provides life insurance in theamount of your dues for continuous membership.• Personalize your message by using a memberwho is a single parent, new employee, or veteranmember who has never had to actually “use” theorganization.2. “Why should I join? I get the benefits fornothing.”• “No one gets the benefits free. Your colleaguesat the local, state, and national levels are payingthe tab.”• Make a list of what nonmembers don’t get.• Members pay dues that cover the cost ofrepresentation for all members and potentialmembers. In addition, dues payments entitlemembers to vote, hold office, attend meetings,voice their concerns, and be represented on allwork-related matters. The dues also entitle themto liability insurance and buying privileges reservedfor members.• “It costs money to represent employees.”• “The time has come when members can nolonger carry the financial burden of others whohave failed to make the commitment to theirprofession. Those who oppose public educationand public school employee organizations havejoined forces. We can afford to do no less.”• “We should all be working together to make ourorganization the very best it can be at representingall of us.”• “When you remain a potential member, you areactually working against your colleagues.”• One association sends a “bill” to potential memberseach month to ask them to join and to remind themthat it costs money to represent them.• “As a member, you can take an active part indecision making. You can vote, hold office, andhave a voice in a democratic, representativeorganization.”• “If something happens to you and you need theassociation, it will be too late to join and obtainthe assistance automatically provided toassociation members.”continued on next page...15