Category Archives: American Federation of Teachers Colorado

Doing his usual fine reporting, the Education Intelligence Agency’s Mike Antonucci breaks down the American Federation of Teachers’ latest report of its contributions to advocacy groups. During the 2010-11 fiscal year, AFT gave $7.8 million in member dues money to a wide range of organizations, an amount as large as the previous two years combined.

The National Education Association has the larger educator membership presence in Colorado. But among the state’s AFT teachers, the largest concentration by far can be found in conservative Douglas County, the state’s third-largest school district. Interesting then to see some of AFT’s contributions, as reported by Antonucci:

Most teachers union members in Colorado are affiliated with the National Education Association, but a smaller (though significant) number belong to the American Federation of Teachers. Some of that AFT dues money goes to national headquarters. How is some of that money spent?

Well, union organizations under federal oversight annually have to post a financial disclosure to the U.S. Department of Labor. This week Mike Antonucci of the Education Intelligence Agency has posted his digestible summary that “reveals the national union contributed $2.6 million to advocacy groups and charities” in 2009-10. Of the nearly 70 groups Antonucci lists here’s an alphabetically-sorted sample:

In Colorado, teachers have the choice to belong or not to belong to various membership organizations. Most teachers belong to the Colorado Education Association (CEA). But in a handful of districts, a union that belongs to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the bargaining agent. No place in our state is this more prominent than in Douglas County — where thousands of teachers and other school district employees pay dues to AFT.

Mike Antonucci of the Education Intelligence Agency recently combed through AFT’s official federal disclosure for 2008-09 and found a host of interesting contributions made by the organization with members’ dues money. In lieu of looking at the full list, here’s some highlights of AFT’s 2008-09 contributions:

• ACORN (national and Maryland) $46,894
• Center for American Progress (liberal think tank) $10,000
• Colorado WINS (state employees union — includes money paid through SEIU) $819,818
• Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate $500,000
• Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network $10,000
• Health Care for America Now! (pro-Obama Care lobbying group) $125,000
• National Council of La Raza $10,000
• Rainbow PUSH Coalition (Jesse Jackson) $25,000

AFT members cannot opt out of supporting these or any contributions. Here’s guessing union leaders didn’t poll the membership of professional teachers and others before deciding to give away millions of dollars on various political projects and causes.