What's In This Toolkit
- Research-Backed Messaging
- Sample Emails, Hustle Scripts, and Posts
- Sample Website Copy
- Telephonic Organizing Guide
Introduction
Why We're Talking About AutoPay
Since 2010, a number of state legislatures have enacted laws that bar or severely restrict public employers from deducting union dues from employees’ wages, including Wisconsin in 2011, Michigan in 2012, Iowa in 2017, and Indiana and West Virginia in 2021. The dam burst open, however, in 2023, when four states—Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee—enacted payroll deduction prohibitions.
Proactively converting members from payroll deduction to AutoPay is the only way to neutralize this threat and protect our power. With every member who converts, the threat of an all-consuming campaign gets and our power grows, turning their threat into an opportunity to reconnect with membership, reaffirm the value of our union, strengthen worksite structure, and build new union leaders.
This guide is designed to help you talk to members about the threat to payroll deduction and the importance of switching to AutoPay to protect their union membership.
Comprehensive Guide to AutoPay Campaigns
Research-Backed Messaging
Research-Backed Messaging
NEA conducted message research to determine the most effective messaging for converting members off of payroll deduction. This research informs our messaging guidance, including:
- Key talking points
- Messaging do's and don'ts
- Sample campaign copy
KEY TALKING POINTS
Messaging Do's and Don'ts
Follow our guidance to create campaign messaging that effectively reaches NEA members.
Sample Campaign Messaging
Our research found that different messaging frameworks are effective during different stages in a member's relationship with you and the AutoPay campaign. That's why we've included sample campaign messages for two core steps: broadcast and escalation.
When to use each framework:
- Core Broadcast Messaging: The most effective message to persuade most members to switch is a simple one that should be shared broadly by state affiliates and locals through all channels (for example: emails, social postings, worksite flyers, direct mail, meeting announcements, phone banks, etc.).
- Core Escalation Messaging: Some members need to have their concerns heard and hear more about the value of their union membership before they are ready to switch to AutoPay. Use this framework in 1:1 or personalized engagement.
Make sure to introduce educators to the basics and why switching to AutoPay is essential to protecting their union membership. Remember that many members will need multiple reminders to complete the AutoPay switch.
AutoPay Messaging Frameworks
- You need to switch to AutoPay to stay in the union. Your dues will stay the same. Anti-public education politicians are eliminating/have eliminated our ability to pay our dues through automatic payroll deductions.
- Protect your union membership that protects you by switching to AutoPay. They want to weaken our union so they can push an anti-public education agenda that hurts us and our students—like vouchers that take money away from our schools and reduce the pensions we’ve earned.
- Switching to AutoPay is easy, quick, and a one-time change. It’s a simple switch that only takes a few minutes. The amount stays the same, and our dues will still be deducted on payday. Sign up once and you’re done.
- Protecting your membership is the only way to stop anti-public education politicians from weakening our union. Being an educator is tough, and to earn better wages and benefits, we need to stick together.
These members need an overall retention message—not related to the specifics of AutoPay—because their hesitation to switch is not rooted in concerns about the process.
Customize 1:1 scripts with important wins that affect members’ daily lives—the tangible benefits of union membership.
- Your union has your back, and your union membership protects you. Even great educators sometimes find themselves unfairly attacked or accused, but our union stays on your side. High-quality liability insurance gives us access to first-rate attorneys to resolve the issue.
- Our union fights for better wages and benefits that we deserve and improves our daily lives by winning dedicated planning time, bathroom breaks, and extra pay for extra duties. We do our jobs to help kids, but too many politicians think becoming a teacher or support staff means taking a vow of poverty.
- Our power depends on our numbers. The more members like you in our union, the stronger a voice we have. Anti-public education politicians want to weaken our union, and weaken our voice, for their own benefit.
- It will be open season on educators like us if we leave the union—we’ll lose our power to fight for the salaries, benefits, and treatment we deserve.
- Politicians who don’t know anything about our jobs already make too many decisions about our schools. You work too hard to let them have even more control over your job or your pension.
Emails, Hustle Scripts, & Posts
Sample Emails, Hustle Scripts, and Posts
As mentioned in the section above, there are several core steps to your AutoPay communications campaign: the core broadcast message and the core escalation message.
Digital messaging should reinforce these steps by educating members on three main points:
- Anti-public education politicians either have passed or are threatening to pass legislation that directly threatens their union membership.
- They can protect their membership through one easy, secure, and one-time change: switching to AutoPay.
- If they need follow up: Remind them of the value of union membership; that we are standing together and building our numbers so we have the collective power to advocate for the things that matter to us, from our students to school funding to better pay and benefits.
Remember: In order to convert to AutoPay, members will need their NEA ID number and ZIP code. Fortunately, this number can be inserted into communications like Hustles or emails through a merge field. Need help getting this set up? Email [email protected] to get started!
Use the sample scripts below to share these important messages with your members!
CORE BROADCAST MESSAGE
TYPE: Share a Link Goal
LINK: https://edues.nea.org/eDues/righthere.jsp [or your own AutoPay link]
SCRIPT: <Member Name>, I’m <Organizer Name> w/NEA! Changes in state law have put your union membership at risk. Will you act to protect it? Text STOP to quit.
- IF YES: Great! Switching to AutoPay ensures no one can stop you from paying your union dues. Signing up is safe, secure, and easy: <Link>
- IF NO: I understand, <Member Name>. Are there any questions I can answer about AutoPay that would make you ready to switch and protect your union membership?
OTHER INFORMATION: Be sure to have NEA ID #ID and ZIP code available.
SUBJECT: Protect your union membership
PREHEADER: Make the switch to AutoPay
BODY:
[First Name or Friend],
As educators, our voices are stronger when we speak together. The more members in our union, the more collective power we have to advocate for the things that matter to us, like what’s best for our students and schools.
That’s exactly why anti-public education politicians are attacking our union—to weaken educator voices for their own benefit.
Protect your union membership by signing up for AutoPay. The process is safe, secure, and easy.
These politicians have recently passed limits to restrict the methods our union can use to collect member dues. Due to this legislation, you must switch your dues to AutoPay by [DATE] in order to maintain your membership in our union.
Make sure anti-education politicians can’t take away your union membership.
Here’s what you’ll need to switch to AutoPay:
- Make sure you have your credit card or bank information ready
- [Include any information needed for log-in to your dues collection system. For AutoPay, that is NEA Member ID and ZIP code.]
AutoPay is a convenient way to pay dues through automatic deductions from a checking or savings account, credit card, or personal/bank check. AutoPay is done through a secure bank site, keeping your financial information private and safe.
It’s a simple switch that only takes a few minutes. The amount stays the same, and our dues will still be deducted on payday.
Switch your payment method to AutoPay today so that we can continue to create the working conditions we need and the learning conditions our students deserve.
Please let us know if you have any questions about AutoPay or why switching your payment method is important. Just reply to this email and we’ll connect with you!
In solidarity,
[Name]
- Instagram: State legislators have restricted the methods we can use to collect member dues. This is a direct attack on our ability to advocate for our students, our schools, and each other. We need your help. Update your payment method today to protect your union membership and help us ensure these restrictions don’t stop us from advocating for the working conditions we need and the learning conditions our students deserve. Click the link in our bio to update to AutoPay today!
- Facebook: You can act today to keep our union strong. Changing your dues payments to AutoPay is a safe, secure, and convenient way to protect your membership and ensure we can keep advocating for educators across our state. Make the switch today: <Link>
- Twitter/X/Bluesky/Threads/Other: When educators come together, we are powerful. Protect your union membership by taking proactive action to ensure no one can stop you from paying dues. Sign up for AutoPay today: <Link>
Most members will be convinced to switch to AutoPay through multiple reminders of the broadcast messaging (a mixture of online and in-person contact points is recommended).
However, the remaining members will need more direct escalation messaging about the value of the union and why protecting their membership is important for their and their students’ well-being. That's when we shift from our broadcast messaging framework to our core escalation messaging.
Core Escalation Messaging
TYPE: Share a Link Goal
LINK: https://edues.nea.org/eDues/righthere.jsp [Or your own link]
SCRIPT: <Member Name>, I’m <Organizer Name> at NEA! Following up, have you switched to AutoPay to protect your union membership? Text STOP to quit
IF YES: Amazing! Our power depends on our numbers. Will you share the link to sign up for AutoPay with three of your colleagues? <Link>
IF NO: No problem! Unless you switch to AutoPay by [DATE], your union membership will be canceled. May I ask what is holding you back?
OTHER INFORMATION: Be sure to have NEA Member ID and ZIP code available.
SUBJECT: Together educators are stronger.
PREHEADER: Why your union membership is important.
BODY:
[First Name or Friend],
When educators come together, we are powerful. Our union membership gives us a collective voice to advocate for the things that matter to us, like our students and schools. We have won changes across the state that improve our daily lives, from pay raises to protected planning time.
[Insert example of a win from your state or local. Example: Here in South Carolina, hundreds of educators came together to advocate at the state capitol and won big! The legislature unanimously passed a bill providing six weeks of paid parental leave.]
However, not everyone wants us to succeed. Anti-education politicians in our state see our union as a threat to their corporate donors and political future. They are using every tool to weaken our voices, including eliminating our ability to pay our dues through automatic payroll deductions.
Due to recent legislation, if you do not switch to AutoPay by [DATE], your union membership will be canceled.
Luckily, you can act today to protect your membership and the future of our work for public education by signing up for AutoPay!
Updating your payment method to AutoPay helps us ensure anti-education politicians and their allies don’t stop us from advocating for the working conditions we need and the learning conditions our students deserve.
Your log-in information: [Include any information needed to log in to your dues payment platform. For AutoPay, that is NEA Member ID and ZIP code.]
AutoPay is a secure and private way to pay your union dues without depending on payroll deduction.
Our opponents know that when we come together, we will win higher pay for educators, better learning conditions for our students, and the funding increases our schools need.
Thank you for taking action to protect your union membership and ensure that we can continue to advocate for our future for years to come.
In solidarity,
[Name]
Telephonic Organizing
Using Telephonic Organizing to Develop a Comprehensive Campaign
As you make the transition from payroll dues deduction to AutoPay, NEA’s experienced tele-organizers are prepared to support affiliates throughout all stages of your conversion campaign—before, during, and after. While telephonic organizing cannot replace the importance of one-on-one worksite conversations, it can provide a crucial surround sound to help facilitate your shift to AutoPay.
NEA recommends that affiliates use the following research-based steps to ensure a successful conversion campaign.
Prior to Your Campaign: Preparing for Conversion Success
To succeed in an AutoPay campaign, prioritize establishing robust communication systems for effective member outreach. Consider:
- If your membership contact data is inaccurate, tele-organizers can update that data. We will call through your list and help clean out bad information.
- If you need new and innovative ways to identify leaders and activists, tele-organizers can generate hot leads for you to recruit and train into activism.
- If you need to alert your members to an upcoming threat of payroll deduction loss, tele-organizers can relay that message to thousands of members in one night and prepare them for upcoming asks to convert their dues.
Empowering Success: The AutoPay Conversion Campaign
About 31% of members need up to four one-on-one conversations for a smooth AutoPay transition. Enhance your conversations with NEA tele-organizers for extended outreach at a fraction of the cost.
NEA’s Telephonic AutoPay Conversion process is streamlined and straightforward to establish.
- Direct Approach: Our tele-organizers adhere to a stringent protocol to secure enforceable voice authorizations, safely gather members’ financial information, and enter it into NEA AutoPay.
- SMS Outreach: Tele-organizers send members an AutoPay link via text, guiding them to execute the conversion on their personal mobile devices.
- Continuing the Journey: Post-Campaign Cleanup, Support, & New Member Organizing
The conclusion of any conversion campaign does not mark the end. Successfully managing this transition demands ongoing and time-intensive follow-up work, underlining the necessity for robust workflow processes to sustain affiliate density levels. Affiliates must establish systems to address the following:
- Notify members facing credit card/ACH issues
- Educate members about the importance of membership as the conversion date nears
- Deliver final notifications on membership cancelations and union protection loss
- Identify and train leaders for AutoPay campaigns and new member organizing
Cost and Timeline: This service is currently free for state affiliates transitioning from payroll deduction. Affiliates would need to collaborate with NEA Center for Organizing and the Office of the General Counsel for script creation, list compilation, and campaign target identification. Field calls can begin in just two weeks.
For more details or to initiate the telephonic organizing process, contact us at [email protected].
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