Update - January 18, 2012: Extension of temporary restraining order granted. Payroll dues deduction will remain in place until at least March 12, 2012.

Update: NCAE Wins Restraining Order, Pursues Legal Challenge to Dues Deduction Bill

Former NC Supreme Court Justice Orr Takes Case; Said His Mother was Long-time NCAE Member

NCAE won a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) Monday that allows payroll deduction of NCAE dues to continue for members. More than 200 (media hit count updated 1-11-2012) newspapers, radio and TV stations reported the news across North Carolina and the nation. The TRO is in place for at least the next 10 days until NCAE can get an injunction that will retain members' ability to pay their Association dues via paycheck deduction while the courts hear the NCAE constitutional challenge to the payroll elimination legislation.

Former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, a Republican who is now in private law practice, is lead counsel for NCAE. Orr joined NCAE President Sheri Strickland on a 5 p.m. conference call with media to announce the win. The News and Observer reported on Orr's participation. WRAL-TV asked in its headline about NCAE's lawsuit --  Late-night Legislation: Crafty, Sneaky, Legal?" WBT-TV (Charlotte) and WXII-TV (Triad) also published reports.

Orr told members of the media that his mother was a teacher and long-time member of NCAE. He said he is pleased to take on the case to help educators retain the right to have their Association dues deducted from their paychecks.

See the story Associated Press ran about the victory that went out over the wire on January 9 for pick up by news media such as the Greenville Daily Reflector, whose education reporter Jackie Drake also wrote about the news. In related news, read a poll that says majority of North Carolinians oppose the Legislature's midnight action on the dues deduction bill and reports the General Assembly's approval rating has fallen to a dismal 16 percent.

Media Coverage Update -- NCAE's press conference about the Legislature's late-night punitive action to try and silence educators made headlines across the state. The Raleigh News and Observer and Charlotte Observer published a photo from the press conference and articles above the fold on their front pages. NBC, CBS, ABC affiliates in the Triangle, Newschannel 14, WPTF radio, and Associated Press attended the press conference and carried the news about the legislature's retaliation against NCAE.

Across the state, the Asheville Citizen Times, Greensboro News and Record, Durham Herald-Sun, Fayetteville Observer, Salisbury Post, Greenville Daily Reflector, The Daily Advance (Elizabeth City), and the Winston-Salem Journal also featured the attack against NCAE as front page news.

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For Immediate Release

Contact: Karen Archia, (800) 662-7924, ext. 214
karen.archia@ncae.org

January 5, 2012

Press Conference Statement of NCAE President Sheri Strickland

Raleigh, NC -- “At 1:12 a.m. this morning, the General Assembly voted to eliminate NCAE’s ability to collect dues though payroll deduction,” said NCAE President Sheri Strickland at a press conference held today at the NCAE Center. “The Association believes the passage of this legislation – an override of Governor Perdue’s veto -- to be a retaliatory action against NCAE for standing up for public school students and educators.

“The message from the legislature is clear – if you stand against cuts to public education, we will teach you a lesson.

“If you point out that they have taken North Carolina to nearly dead last in per pupil funding, you will be bullied.

“If you say that we are short-changing our students, we will try and silence your voice.

“Our message back to them is we will not be intimidated, we will not be silenced, and we will not back down. NCAE will stand up to the clear attempt to silence the many thousands of educators across the state.

“No other organization has been affected by this legislation. As most of you already know, NCAE has been singled out – targeted. They tried to the hide the facts, but the truth came to light. Here’s the audio recording of legislative leaders plotting and planning to try and hurt NCAE -- which members of the media captured during the last session.”

NCAE President Sheri Strickland played an audio recording of Speaker Thom Tills talking about plans eliminate payroll dues deduction for NCAE through upcoming legislation.

“We didn’t back down then and we won’t back down now,” Strickland said.

“What legislative leaders did early this morning is the end result of a concerted effort to silence thousands of educators across the state, because we stood strong for schools. And we believe the legislature has acted unconstitutionally.

“The Association’s next steps are to pursue legal action within the next few days and to simply move our members to alternative ways to pay their dues.

“We will continue to speak forthrightly in support of public schools; we will continue to act as a professional organization that advocates to reduce class size and help build a quality education workforce --- and we will continue to stand up against efforts to bully us into submission. Our children are too important to give up the fight.

“On May 3, we brought thousands of concerned citizens, parents, students, and educators together to speak in one voice against cuts to education. This move today to silence NCAE is also a move to silence those thousands of voices of North Carolinians who spoke up in that rally. Anyone who cares about public education in North Carolina should feel incensed at today’s action in the Legislature. “

NCAE is the state’s largest education association representing active, retired and student members.
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