How I save $1,500/year with my
MEA-MFT Member Benefits

A true story by Dr. Grant G. Mitman

May 2009 - I am a biology professor and vice president of the recently organized Montana Tech Faculty Association (MTFA). We are happy to be part of the MEA-MFT family.

One of the first questions our members asked when we formed our local union was, “What are all these benefits we are supposed to get by joining MEA-MFT?”

My answer was this: The real benefit of joining MTFA and MEA-MFT is that you are a member of an organization that supports you.

Well, some of our members wanted to know about dollar savings. So, being a good scientist, I did some research that really paid off! I now save about $1,500/year because of my MEA-MFT membership. Here is my story:

I was contemplating installing solar power in my home, but I had a dilemma—no money, and insufficient credit—something that may face us all someday.

Solar power is a good deal in Montana. My cost was going to be about $17,000, but with help from Northwestern Energy, state and federal tax credits, and a Department of Environmental Quality 5% fixed loan, the project seemed within reach.

I planned to install a solar photovoltaic system that would take care of all my electricity needs. The first step was expensive: I needed to reduce my nearly $100/month electric bill to about $25/month, which is the maximum I would be able to generate with a 2 kilowatt photovoltaic system.

I analyzed my energy consumption and realized my ancient refrigerator and freezer had to go and be replaced by new Energy Star compliant units ($1,500). Plus, I needed to replace all my light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs ($500).

Here is the punch line: I had just received a 0% (for a year) Bank of America credit card from NEA, one of our two national affiliates. I used this for the big purchase.

By the time the ground breaking for my solar installation came due, I had paid off the loan and reduced my energy bill to less than $20/month. I installed the solar system, and my electric bill is now $5/month to rent an electric meter, which now usually runs backwards (net metering).

This is how my MEA-MFT membership helped me eliminate my electric bill, help the environment, and save lots of money.

There’s more. As I was exploring my membership benefits, I discovered another big savings (15-25%) on cell phone usage from Verizon. This ended up saving me $300/year (my phone is also my computer modem).

I saved another 10% ($100) with NEA’s home and auto insurance (through Horace Mann). Bank of America also extended my 0% credit for another year, to be locked in at 5% when this expires.

Furthermore, because I paid off my credit card in time, they gave me a high credit limit and a 6.99% fixed line of credit. My credit score is getting better all the time as a result.

As a member of MEA-MFT, your small membership fee entitles you to many member benefits not available to non-members. These benefits may even exceed your entire union dues. I know because I have done it!

How do I find these benefits? Here is the first step: Go to this web site's home page and click on the image of your MEA-MFT Membership/Access card. When you are done surfing that area, go back to the home page and scroll down to “Other Info.” Click on “Member Benefits.” Because MEA-MFT is a merged union, we receive benefits from both NEA and AFT (American Federation of Teachers—our other national affiliate).

By the time this goes to print, the deals may have changed, but they will likely be replaced by new ones. You may even find better deals than I did or ones that apply only to you, but you have to look!

Of course, the real benefit of joining MEA-MFT is that you are a member of an organization that supports you.