Taxpayer-backed teacher unions receive $390M in dues

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(The Center Square) – National teacher unions continue to collect hundreds of millions of dollars annually in membership dues, according to new federal filings with the U.S. Department of Labor. 

The National Education Association, which reported 2,846,104 members from September 2024 through August 2025, reported approximately $454 million in total receipts during the fiscal year, according to its LM-2 filing. Of that amount, about $390 million came from dues and agency fees. (According to the Department of Labor, LM-2 filings are annual financial reports from labor organizations with $250,000 or more in receipts.)

NEA President Becky Pringle received $514,755 in salary during the reporting period. Since becoming president in 2021, her salary has increased by more than $80,000, according to federal filings.

Other top officers also received six-figure compensation. Vice President Princess Moss received total compensation of $416,514, while Secretary-Treasurer Noel Candelaria received $417,186.

The NEA reported $529.5 million in revenue for the 2022–23 fiscal year, including $374.2 million from membership dues, according to Americans for Fair Treatment. The average full-time teacher pays between $200 and $220 annually for national NEA membership, typically deducted directly from paychecks.

A majority of public school districts do not reimburse union dues. They are paid by members via payroll deduction of taxpayer-funded salaries.

Union officials argue the spending supports advocacy for educators and students. In a recent statement emailed to The Center Square, Pringle said test scores “reflect the consequences of disinvestment in public education,” adding that schools need funding to pay teachers competitive wages, reduce class sizes and invest in updated materials.

But critics question whether unions calling for increased taxpayer funding are also expanding their own operations and executive pay.

“The labor unions are an absolute cancer on our education system,” Rusty Brown, director of special projects at the Freedom Foundation, which advocates against public-sector unions, told The Center Square. Brown argued that unions function like cartels and contribute to declining academic standards.

According to its 2025 LM-2 filing, the NEA reported $51,747,025 in disbursements for political activities and lobbying.

Since 2022, the NEA and the American Federation of Teachers have together contributed $43.5 million to political organizations, including The Trevor Project, according to a report by the nonprofit Defending Education. 

At the state level, union dues can be far higher. For example, in California, individual teacher dues exceed $1,000 annually for state and national unions. Public education unions in California are estimated to collect more than $800 million per year, according to the California Policy Center.