New analyses show national and local teachers’ unions have steered more than $1 billion toward far-left political causes and advocacy efforts over the past decade.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Two reports released by Defending Education assert that the largest teachers’ unions in the United States, along with their affiliates, have directed more than $1 billion in combined funding to far-left political groups, organizations, and campaigns over roughly the past ten years.
According to the group’s initial analysis, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association collectively distributed more than $669 million since August 2015 through member dues, fees, and political action committee resources. The report states that these funds were routed to far-left political entities, nonprofit organizations, ballot initiatives, and school board races.
An additional review of state and local union activity found approximately $336 million in spending directed toward far-left political causes at those levels. Combined, the total identified by the organization exceeds $1 billion.
Nicole Neily, president of Defending Education, said the findings reflect a broader pattern of political engagement by unions. “It’s time to dispense with the myth that unions care whatsoever about teachers’ best interests,” Neily said.
The compiled data, as summarized in a LifeSite News report, outlines how union funds have been used to support far-left political organizations and advocacy efforts at both national and local levels.
Neily said the spending reflects a shift away from workplace-focused priorities. “Educators are victims of a bait-and-switch: Instead of their dues going to advocate for increased pay or improved working environments, they’re being spent advancing a hard-left political agenda, underwriting causes such as climate change, gender activism, and abortion (as well as supporting progressive politicians at all levels),” she said.
She added that transparency surrounding these expenditures is necessary. “Given the outsized role that unions have played in the education system over the past 50 years, greater transparency on union spending is absolutely critical so that policymakers and teachers themselves can make informed decisions about the role that these entities should — or should not — play in the future,” Neily said.
Rhyen Staley, research director at Defending Education, described the unions’ activities as focused on political influence. “These entities are a political machine,” Staley said. “Show me your budget and I will show you what you value; and what the teachers’ unions value is political power and advancing a left wing, social justice agenda.”
He said the scale of funding directed toward far-left political groups has implications for local and state elections. “Parents, families, and communities have little to no counter to the influence that teachers’ union dollars have on state and local campaigns,” Staley said. “Gone are the days of unions just advocating for higher wages, better working conditions, and good health insurance; they are a political machine focused on fomenting a ‘political revolution.’”
The reports identify multiple far-left organizations and advocacy groups among the recipients, including Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Emily’s List, the Human Rights Campaign, GLSEN, the Trevor Project, and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Political contributions were also directed to candidates such as Joe Biden and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, according to the findings. The Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation is also listed among organizations receiving funding.
A comprehensive list of recipients and expenditures is available in the full report dataset, detailing how union-related funds were distributed to far-left political organizations and initiatives during the period reviewed.
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