Will Janus Burst Teacher Unions’ Political Spending Balloon?
Teacher union officials depend largely upon forced dues to throw an ever-increasing amount of money to politicians who will do their bidding and help them build their lavish empire. Larry Sand explores possible ramifications of the Janus v. AFSCME case which is due to be heard by the Supreme Court some time in 2018. The case could puncture teacher unions’ political spending balloon.
Perhaps the biggest change that could come about will be political. As things stand now, the teachers unions are major players in national, state and local politics. In 2016, the American Federation of Teachers donated almost $33 million to candidates, PACs, etc., with a mere $10,700 going to Republicans/conservatives. The National Education Association’s political spending wasn’t much more balanced. NEA spent almost $28 million with just $347,000 going in a rightward direction. These numbers are not at all unusual for the teachers unions.