Labor Giant Puts Politics, Pay Over Serving Teachers

NEA spends more on lobbying than representing members

The nation’s largest teachers union spends three times as much money on politics, overhead, and union administration as it does on serving its membership, according to federal labor filings.

The National Education Association (NEA) headquarters spent nearly $45 million on “political activities” in 2013, about $500,000 more than it spent on membership services classified as “representational activities,” such as negotiating collective bargaining agreements and helping members with employment grievances. The labor giant spent an additional $90 million on overhead costs and union administration—more than double the total spent on individual members. The union’s expenses on staffing, administration, and politics accounted for about 40 percent of its total expenses for the year.

The union annually collects nearly $370 million in dues from its 3 million members, as well as its 88,000 non-member teachers, according to the filings. The NEA publicly states that all of its energies are dedicated to advancing the interests of teachers and public schools. Union membership is a key driver for achieving these goals, according to the NEA website.

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