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Teachers’ unions symbolize the greater than 3.2 million full-time academics in additional than 130,000 Okay-12 colleges throughout america. The biggest union, the Nationwide Schooling Affiliation (NEA), has 3 million members. About 70% of teachers belong to a academics’ union. Unions have affect:
When it comes to affect, unions form public coverage by means of the variety of members (who pay dues) and the quantity of political contributions that they can ship to political campaigns or to foyer for particular insurance policies and payments. The thought is that each one that political spending then trickles down to enhance working circumstances for academics, and studying for college students.
The Most Influential Academics’ Unions
It is very important word that, whereas each state has a academics’ union, the power of each state’s union is not the same. Some states permit collective bargaining and a few don’t. And the political make-up of every state will influence how far a union’s affect can go as effectively, as the vast majority of political contributions from unions go to Democratic or liberal candidates and points.
The 2 largest unions with the broadest attain are the Nationwide Schooling Affiliation and the American Federation of Academics. However when it comes to {dollars} spent on political campaigns and lobbying, you don’t must be federal and even state-level to spend large bucks. Right here’s how the highest academics’ unions within the nation—federal, state, and metropolis—shake out.
(Notice, membership information was sourced from Zippia.)
1. California Teachers Association (CTA)
Location: Burlingame, CA
Members: 310,000
Membership: The CTA is an NEA affiliate with 500 workplaces throughout California.
Present president: David Goldberg
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Data, the CTA has spent greater than $222,940,629 in political contributions.
Federal political spending: $5,969,652
State political spending: $216,970,978
Notable political positions: Constitution colleges, immigration reform, college security, and social justice are high advocacy issues for the CTA.
2. National Education Association (NEA)
Location: Washington, DC
Members: 3,000,000
Membership: The NEA is the largest teachers’ union and the biggest white-collar labor union within the nation. It serves not solely academics, however aspiring academics, schooling assist employees, higher-education academics and professors, and retired educators.
Present president: Becky Pringle
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the NEA has spent $191,315,888 in political contributions.
Federal political spending: $85,895,219
State political spending: $105,420,669
Notable political positions: The NEA has supported public baby diet applications, the Frequent Core State Requirements, and opposed vouchers.
3. American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Location: Washington, DC
Members: 1,700,000
Membership: Along with academics, the AFT additionally serves school college, healthcare employees, and paraprofessionals. The union is a member of the AFL-CIO.
Present president: Randi Weingarten
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the AFT has contributed greater than $86,914,628 in political contributions.
Federal political spending: $62,838,329
State political spending: $24,076,298
Notable political positions: The AFT focuses on preserving privileges for academics and is a defender of tenure insurance policies that make it tough to take away academics.
4. Illinois Education Association (IEA)
Location: Springfield, IL
Members: 130,000
Membership: The IEA is an NEA affiliate.
Present president: Al Llorens
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the union spent $27,778,079 on political spending.
Federal political spending: $0
State political spending: $27,778,079
Notable political positions: The IEA had a major win in 1983 with a brand new collective bargaining act. Since then, it has targeted on equitable college funding and changes in teacher evaluation.
5. California School Employees Association (CSEA)
Location: San Jose, CA
Members: 250,000
Membership: The CSEA is the California AFT affiliate. It has 100 areas throughout California and primarily serves non-certified college staff.
Present president: Adam Weinberger
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the CSEA has spent greater than $26,736,530 on political contributions.
Federal political spending: $1,802,932
State political spending: $24,933,598
Notable political positions: The CSEA is targeted on supporting labor-friendly political candidates and combating payments that minimize schooling spending.
6. Ohio Education Association (OEA)
Location: Columbus, OH
Members: 120,000
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the OEA spent $22,101,092 on political contributions.
Federal political spending: $1,159,500
State political spending: $20,941,592
Notable political positions: The OEA is focused on policies that improve college funding, handle instructor shortages, and enhance well-being of academics and employees.
7. Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT)
Location: Westmont, IL
Members: 103,000
Membership: The IFT is the AFT affiliate for Illinois academics.
Present president: Daniel Montgomery
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the union has spent $19,196,919.
Federal political spending: $10,000
State political spending: $19,186,919
Notable political positions: The union works to guard bargaining rights, present full equitable college funding, and shield academics’ jobs.
8. Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA)
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Members: 187,000
Membership: The PSEA is without doubt one of the oldest unions and is an NEA affiliate. It contains academics in addition to healthcare employees, college nurses, social employees, and retirees.
Present president: Aaron Chapin
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the PSEA has spent greater than $18,473,369 on political contributions.
Federal political spending: $75,000
State political spending: $18,398,369
Notable political Positions: PSEA was a supporter of the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan, and has most notably opposed increasing college alternative insurance policies together with vouchers and constitution colleges.
9. New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
Location: Albany, NY
Members: 612,000
Membership: The NYSUT is related to the NEA and AFT and is the biggest state-level academics’ union. It really works principally in New York but in addition has lobbied in Washington, DC. NYSUT additionally contains the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the principle New York Metropolis academics’ union with greater than 140,000 academics and schooling staff.
Present president: Melinda Individual
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, NYSUT has contributed greater than $18,011,916 in political contributions.
Federal political spending: $116,000
State political spending: $17,895,961
Notable political positions: NYSUT is involved in grassroots initiatives to assist liberal public insurance policies. It has supported a high-wealth tax for schooling funding and regulating constitution colleges.
10. Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA)
Location: Quincy, MA
Members: 115,000
Membership: The MTA is the oldest academics’ union, based in 1845. MTA is an NEA affiliate.
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the MTA has spent $15,820,759 on political contributions.
Federal political spending: $2,212,274
State political spending: $13,608,485
Notable political positions: In 2020, the MTA supported the Scholar Alternative Act that gives $2 billion per yr in extra funding for public colleges. Just lately, the MTA has lobbied in assist of the Honest Share Modification, which might tax 4% of earnings of $1 million.
11. Michigan Education Association (MEA)
Location: East Lansing, MI
Members: 120,000
Membership: The MEA is an NEA affiliate. The union was identified for aggressive bargaining within the Nineteen Seventies, however current right-to-work laws has resulted in a discount in membership.
Present president: Chandra Madafferi
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the MEA spent $12,481,224 on political contributions.
Federal political spending: $15,000
State political spending: $12,466,224
Notable political positions: The MEA opposed privatization of college providers and faculty alternative efforts.
12. Florida Education Association (FEA)
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Members: 150,000
Membership: FEA is an affiliate of each NEA and AFT.
Present president: Andrew Spar
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the FEA has spent greater than $11,402,342 in political contributions.
Federal political spending: $111,000
State political spending: $11,291,242
Notable political positions: This union was the primary to steer a statewide academics’ strike in america. Academics began a strike in 1968 for increased pay, higher advantages, and improved services. The FEA advocates for elevated pay and advantages, it sued the state saying the state-funded vouchers program was unconstitutional, and it supported the governor’s resolution to exchange the Florida Requirements Assessments.
13. New Jersey Education Association (NJEA)
Location: Trenton, NJ
Members: 200,000
Membership: NJEA is an NEA affiliate with 22 workplaces round New Jersey.
Present president: Sean Spiller
Political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the NJEA has spent greater than $5,585,919 on political contributions, all of it on the state stage.
Federal political spending: $0
State political spending: $5,585,919
Notable political positions: NJEA has supported decreased use of standardized testing, rising public college funding, and better salaries and advantages for educators. It has additionally advocated for a taxpayer-funded child-care program in New Jersey.
14. Chicago Teachers Union (Local 1) (CTU)
Location: Chicago, IL
Members: 30,000
Membership: The CTU is an AFT affiliate. It’s the third-largest local teachers’ union within the nation and the biggest native union in Illinois.
Present president: Stacy Davis Gates
Whole political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the CTU spent $4,092,883 in political contributions.
Federal political spending: $0
State political spending: $4,092,883
Notable political positions: The CTU is understood for its aggressive political efforts, together with strikes and marches and for collective bargaining round academics’ wages and dealing circumstances.
15. United Teachers Los Angeles (Local 1021) (UTLA)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Members: 35,000
Membership: UTLA is a merger of AFT and NEA membership.
Present president: Cecily Myart-Cruz
Whole political contributions: In response to Public Union Facts, the UTLA spent a complete of $1,626,966.
Federal political spending: $336,974
State political spending: $1,289,992
Notable political positions: The UTLA is especially against constitution colleges, which is notable as Los Angeles has the biggest community of constitution colleges.
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