A New York teacher quit his union mid-year. He still had to pay.
When the teacher signed his union membership agreement in 2018, the terms were straightforward. Monthly dues would be deducted from his paycheck and sent to his local association. If he ever wanted out, there was one window: August 1 through August 31, once a year. Miss it, and the agreement rolled over automatically.
In March 2024, the teacher sent written notice to New York State United Teachers ending his membership. The local association’s president reminded him of the window. His membership rights were gone, but the dues obligation was not. Under the agreement, he owed through June 2024 - the last payroll period before the revocation window opened.
The school district kept deducting. By June, the teacher had paid $290.16 in post-resignation dues.
He sued in March 2025, arguing the clause was not a genuine liquidated damages provision but an unlawful penalty - a contractual stick to discourage members from leaving rather than to compensate the union for any real loss.
The unions countered with the benefits members received - the right to vote, run for office, participate in internal affairs - and the monthly assessments the local association paid to NYSUT for services and support. The trial court sided with the unions and dismissed the complaint.
On October 9, 2026, the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, unanimously upheld the result, declaring the dues provision valid. Under New York’s Taylor Law,...
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