What percent of union dues actually goes to help teachers?

The American Federation of Teachers, in addition to fighting Charter Schools tooth and nail, spends only about one-third of the money it collects on "behalf of its members".

Actually that is not entirely fair. They spend 100% of their time f-cking over school children.

Labor Unions Have Lost Their Way

The AFT and the NEA are more concerned with left-wing causes than their members’ interests.

By Elisabeth Messenger

Sept. 1, 2023 1:30 pm ET

From the earliest days of American industry, labor unions played a major role in championing workers’ rights, fighting for fair wages, safe working conditions and better benefits.

As Labor Day approaches, unions will be sure to remind us how much we have to thank them for. And they’ll be right. But we’ll also be reminded how far they’ve fallen. The labor movement successfully improved working conditions in the 20th century, but it has lost its way in the 21st—veering from its original purpose and putting politics above workers’ needs.

Many union members in America don’t work in industry at all—they are government employees. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2022 “the union membership rate of public-sector workers (33.1 percent) continued to be more than five times higher than the rate of private-sector workers.” Government unions are some of the most powerful in the country—especially the teachers unions.

The American Federation of Teachers, with more than 1.6 million members, paints a rosy picture of financial prosperity, with $152 million in assets and a net financial-position improvement of $15 million since 2020. A closer examination, however, reveals an alarming trend: the union increased its membership dues while losing more than 10,000 members since 2020.

No wonder teachers are turning away from the union when only 34% of its spending goes toward acting on behalf of its members. The AFT diverts large sums to political activities, supporting left-wing causes and candidates, taking no account of the diverse political affiliations among its members. Political spending accounted for 17.3% of the AFT’s total outlays in the 2021-22 fiscal year. AFT President Randi Weingarten pulls in roughly $488,000 a year—more than eight times what a teacher makes.

The situation is arguably worse at the even larger National Education Association. It spent $49.2 million on political activities in 2021-22, surpassing the amount spent on membership representation by $3.5 million. Like the AFT, the NEA protected revenue from membership losses by hiking dues. The union’s emphasis on financial investment further highlights its shift away from representing teachers and toward building its own wealth.

I work with public employees who feel abandoned by their unions. I’ve seen the positives and negatives of the labor movement. But it’s clear that unions’ emphasis on political activity is detrimental to members’ interests and erodes the trust workers once placed in them.

Union alternatives—such as Christian Educators and the Association of American Educators along with local, independent unions—aren’t part of a national monopoly and have the potential to fulfill the true purpose of unions: advocating workers’ rights and improving working conditions.

The heart of the labor movement should be the pursuit of a better future for workers. We want unions to do better. National unions such as the AFT and the NEA should refocus their efforts on the needs and concerns of their members rather than pouring vast sums of money into divisive politics. True representation means standing up for all members, regardless of their political beliefs, and ensuring their voices are heard.

Ms. Messenger is CEO of Americans for Fair Treatment.