It seems odd to me, but the question I get asked most often about my teaching experience and my membership with the NEA is not about funny student stories, or how many lives I touched, or even how you could work for so little pay. Surprisingly, people are curious as to why I remain a member of the NEA after retirement. I spent 36 years in the classroom and have spent 36+ years as a member. To me, they go hand in hand. In fact, being a retired member helps me lend a hand to schools, current teachers, and other retired teachers.

That is the simple answer. The long answer begins way back in 1973 when I began my career in Massachusetts. It seems antithetical now, but decades ago you could be fired for being “unkempt.” A friend of mine in the late 1960s grew a beard. He was ordered to shave it. He chose not to and was fired for insubordination. The board backed this decision. However, common sense prevailed when the union stepped in and helped restore my friend’s job. This is one brand of advocacy the union has done thousands of times.

This is one singular instance, but teachers’ unions have positively impacted every aspect of our society. Who is the only real voice for realistic change in education? The union. Many people interpret that to say that the union is only out to take care of their members by getting them higher pay and protecting even the bad teachers.

However, this is not the case. The NEA and state unions protect teachers in the sense that they protect their rights and contractual benefits. If there is a teacher who isn’t doing their job properly, the union is there to see that their rights are protected—not necessarily that their job is protected. Contrary to public opinion, teachers do get fired. I’ve always looked at the union as protector and defender of the contract and by extension the educator.

If no entity is in charge of ensuring educators operate in optimum conditions then their work will suffer and, unfortunately, this means the nation’s children will suffer. Without an organization that focuses on providing educators with what is needed to help students learn, teachers would have to do this important function. This would take away from class and preparation time.

A quick example: when I started teaching there was no guaranteed preparation time or even time to meet with colleagues built into the school day. In fact, I had to work lunch periods and recess and had bus duty, leaving very little time for grading and creating lesson plans. Through collective bargaining, we were able to secure the preparation period time and professional learning time throughout the school day. Everyone speaks of the importance of professional development, but, without the time to reflect, all the professional development won’t do a bit of good.

For these reasons it was never a question why I joined the union. In fact, I’ve held almost every position with my local. When I talked to educators who weren’t members, I made an honest case that they would be protected through liability and insurance shields and also have access to innumerable benefits that extend way beyond bargaining power.

I challenged two members to use the benefits package we provided over a summer break. They went out with their membership cards for vacations, flowers, and other goods and received discounts everywhere. They added up the discounts at the end of the summer and found that the money they saved was way more than their annual dues. The fact that you save money by joining and gain access to programs that make your personal and professional lives easier is a no brainer.

That is why I joined the NEA then—to have a voice in the conditions I would be working under and to better my life. When I was offered the opportunity to join the pre-retired membership, I jumped at the chance because the life insurance rates are so incredibly low that I’d be a fool not to. I was also able to maintain access to the other programs and discounts through NEA’s Member Benefits Corporation.

I didn’t intend for this to be a pep rally for unions. I wanted to explain how far education in this country has come. Quite simply, the United States is one of the few countries in the world that educates everyone. The NEA has, undeniably, played a major part in this. That is why I am proud to be a member. I am also proud because I am a part of three million educators nationally, 800,000 statewide and 200+ locally—in unity there is strength.

I don’t think any educator could afford not to join and I don’t think the country could afford not to have teacher unions.

Peter Matrow began his career in 1973. Until 1979, he taught a grade five self-contained classroom, then he switched to teaching grade six for the next year. From 1980–1982, he taught grade three before returning to a fifth-grade classroom from 1982–2009 at Granite Valley Middle School in Monson, MA. Starting in 2003, Peter was part of a two teacher team focused on mathematics and science.