TO SIGN UP FOR HEA/MTA UNION MEMBERSHIP...
All four of the below steps must be completed to be an active member.
Step 1: When you met with Human Resources you should have signed a “Dues Authorization Form”. If not, contact Emily Osborne at enosborne@hudson.k12.ma.us.
Step 2: Sign up for MTA membership by completing this link. Please select “Hudson Education Association”. This MUST be completed for active membership. You will receive a MTA membership card in the mail within a month of signing up.
Step 3: Email Kris Langan at kelangan@hudson.k12.ma.us and let him know that you are joining the HEA/MTA. Kris will then email Hudson Town Hall to add you to the NEXT scheduled dues deduction. If you missed one or more deductions those deductions will be taken off in one lump sum from your next paycheck to make you current.
Step 4: Check your HPS pay stub and confirm that dues were deducted from your paycheck under “DUES TEACHER”. NOTE: There will also be a deduction on your paystub for “Teachers Retirement” this is NOT union dues. This is your contribution to MTRS and your pension. This runs separately from the HEA/MTA. If no deductions were taken, please email Kris Langan at kelangan@hudson.k12.ma.us.
ALL MEMBERS - THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
FOR NEW HIRES/NEW MEMBERS OF THE HEA: Please click on this link for registration.
When are dues deducted from my check?
October 17, 2024 - May 1, 2025
Once I have dues deducted will they be deducted each school year?
Yes. Unless, you take a leave of absence or stop dues deductions, they will continue to be deducted each year.
If I miss paying dues and realize it at the end of the year or the following year, do I still have to pay?
Yes. Ensuring that union dues are removed from your paycheck is each member's responsibility. The HEA acts as a “middle man” for paying each dues obligations to MTA and the NEA. If a member's dues were not deducted properly, the MTA and NEA are still charging the HEA for your dues. In this case, the member can write a personal check for the full outstanding amount, made payable to “Hudson Education Association” and sent via interoffice mail to Kris Langan at HHS.
How is a members total dues obligation broken down?
For the 2024-2025 school year, the total dues obligation is $882.
$213 is owed to NEA
$556 is owed to MTA
$113 per member stays with the HEA for normal operating expenses including arbitration payments, officer stipends, member retirement acknowledgements, etc.
What happens with dues if I take an UNPAID leave of absence (LOA)?
The member has two choices:
-- Option 1: The member can elect to stop union membership for the year. In this case, MTA and the HEA remove the member for the year and no dues are charged. The member also has no legal or MTA assistance during this time. When the member returns to work, he/she must sign-up for union membership following the above steps 1 through 4 under “FOR NEW HIRES”
-- Option 2: MTA offers a reduced rate that is paid in one lump sum via personal check. The member maintains membership, legal protections, etc.
Please communicate with Kris Langan at HHS via email at
kelangan@hudson.k12.ma.us with any questions.
Can I deduct my union dues on my personal tax returns?
Most employees can no longer deduct union dues on their federal tax return in tax years 2018 through 2025 as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that Congress signed into law on December 22, 2017.
Our union accountant also confirmed there is no point providing a list of dues paid during the calendar year as they cannot be used for tax purposes.
If I have any union dues questions, who should I contact?
HEA Treasurer, Kris Langan at kelangan@hudson.k12.ma.us