Study Finds That Teachers Union Spent Way More Money On Lobbying Than On Its Members
More data shows that the countries largest teachers' union money was allocated to lobbying at twice the rate it was to its members.
If you were ever curious as to how and why teachers’ unions carry so much weight, we have your answer. Believe it or not, it all centers around into whose pocket teachers union money falls. At least this is the perception after an analysis of the National Education Association 2020-21 spending.
The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest teachers’ union in the country and the new analysis, conducted by Americans for Fair Treatment (AFFT), showed that the teachers’ union money was more than double on political activities than the money they spent in representing their own members. What do those numbers look like? According to the AFT, 17.6% of the teachers’ union money went toward lobbying and political activities. A mere 8.6% of NEA cash was used for union members.
The AFT also reported another jaw-dropper with the teachers’ unions money. Their political activity spending also amounted to more than their spending on employee benefits. The NEA spent only 15.1% on those.
“The NEA spent a total of $374 million during the 2020-2021 fiscal year. A meager 9% of the union’s spending was on ‘representational activities,’ or money that is spent directly to support its members,” said AFFT CEO David Osborne said in his statement via Fox News. “In contrast, 18% went to political activities, while another 32% went to ‘contributions, gifts, and grants,’ spending that is also largely political in nature. Those numbers show where their priorities lie.”
Americans for Fair Treatment concluded what many have already thought, “The National Education Association’s (NEA) political and charitable spending in 2020-2021 makes the NEA look more like a political organization than a membership organization.” Americans for Fair Treatment added in its report.
What the report also showed was that the largest amount of the teachers’ union money was sent toward “contributions, gifts, and grants.” This number hit 31.5% and while it doesn’t specify, the spending under this label could also be of a political nature. The AFFT reports that there was a $1 million contribution given by the NEA to Future Forward USA Action, a left-wing super PAC. This political action committee backed Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential run.
The large numbers don’t stop with just Future Forward USA Action. The NEA Advocacy Fund is the NEA’s own super PAC. $15.7 million of the teachers’ union money went to this super PAC in a one-year timeframe in 2020-21. $1.85 million of the teachers’ union money was given to the Strategic Victory Fund super PAC as well. This super PAC contributes funds to Democratic candidates. Another $6.7 million of the teachers’ union money went to the State Engagement Fund. This group is part of the Democracy Alliance, a network that gives ample support to left-wing candidates.
The NEA’s political donations were well above what the nation’s second-largest teachers union contributed. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) spent only $48.8 million on political activities and another $5.9 million of the teachers’ union money went to contributions. The AFT’s total political spending came in at less than 30% of their entire 2020-21 expenses. This is compared to the nearly 50% that the NEA teachers union spent with money.
Another item the AFFT report uncovered was the teachers’ union money that went to liberal advocacy groups. One was a $125,000 donation to Project 2043, a nonprofit organization that helps “companies and nonprofit organizations achieve their Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility goals.” Much of the project’s wording is often seen associated with critical race theory, something that the NEA has shown support for in the past.
