NEA Nunbers Failing
National Education Association (NEA) membership numbers have declined considerably since 1994. Mike Antonucci explains how this has occurred.
In 1994 the National Education Association had 2.2 million members. In the years since, the union has increased its numbers by 800,000. During a period of time when the number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers grew by 553,000 it appears to be quite an achievement.
But a closer look at the state numbers show that NEA’s strength for the last 20 years has been concentrated in a handful of affiliates, and that mergers with American Federation of Teachers affiliates account for more than half of the union’s growth.
NEA affiliates in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Massachusetts accounted for 271,000 additional members since 1994. Mergers in Florida, Minnesota, Montana and New York added 460,000 more to the national member total on paper but little to the NEA coffers since the dues are split with AFT according to pre-merger membership numbers.
While those affiliates prospered, 20 others actually have fewer members today than they did in 1994.