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In case you haven’t heard, it’s National Employee Freedom Week. And while Tennesseans have a lot to celebrate when it comes to employee freedom, the work is not quite done. Living in a right to work state means that Tennesseans have it better than many other Americans; however, the government education unions still have a grip on our education system.

While membership in a union is voluntary in Tennessee, those enrolled only have a limited time period to withdrawal. That deadline unsurprisingly takes place during the summer and with little to no notice.

Even worse than making it hard to leave the union, they then turn around and use teachers’ dues to lobby against the best interests of taxpayers. Notably in our state, the unions have been heavily involved with blocking the expansion of educational choice programs, programs that could ensure the poorest and most vulnerable of children receive a quality education that best meets their needs. That is of little concern to the union heads though, whose primary goal is staying in power while padding their pockets.

Though Tennessee is a shining example for many of our neighbors in the department of employee freedom, we can’t let well enough alone. We have to remain vigilant and ensure that all employees have true freedom in the market. Additionally, we must eradicate taxpayer-funded lobbying if we want to maintain a truly representative government.

To celebrate National Employee Freedom Week, let’s all stand up and fight against ongoing injustices in our state, just like those before us fought for the world we now live in.