Teachers’ union endorses “right to abortion”

The NEA, the nation's largest labor union, is a major donor to federal candidates for office.

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest labor union, representing public school teachers and other educators, passed a statement in support of the “right to abortion” at their annual meeting in Houston, Texas over the July 4th holiday weekend.

The statement, “New Business item 56,” reads as follows:

Through existing media channels, the NEA will honor the leadership of women, non-binary, and trans people, and other survivors who have come forward to publicly name their rapists and attackers in the growing, international, #MeToo movement. Furthermore, the NEA will include an assertion of our defense of a person’s right to control their own body, especially for women, youth, and sexually marginalized people. The NEA vigorously opposes all attacks on the right to choose and stands on the fundamental right to abortion under Roe v. Wade.

The NEA has been an important player in national politics. According to influencewatch.org, the union has contributed $143.5 million to federal candidates and political action committees between 1990 through February 2019. The money used comes from member dues and “agency fees” paid by teachers.

While the NEA has the largest membership of any labor union in the United States, its numbers are declining. In 2007, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of its founding, the teachers’ union reported a membership of 3.2 million people. In 2012, that number had decreased by .3%.