Rebuilding Education with DOGE: Starting by Ending Union Bosses’ No-Show Jobs
Expose and End AFT and NEA Union Bosses Shifting of Union Expenses to Taxpayers VIA Government Union Release Time, a.k.a. Official Time
Introduction
The practice of “official time” (also known as “release time” and “union time”) in government unions, especially in education, has sparked significant debate. It involves government employees being paid by taxpayers to perform union activities instead of their assigned jobs, which drains education budgets and disrupts classrooms. So-called teacher union “release time” simply means taxpayer-paid no-show union jobs.
Let’s explore how this issue affects our schools, their budgets, and what the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) can do to help address it.
What is Official Time and Why Does It Matter?
Official time allows government employees, including teachers, to work on union activities during hours they would otherwise be on duty, all while being paid by the government. This means taxpayers are funding union operations, such as recruiting or lobbying, rather than educational services. For example, some employees spend 100% of their time on union work, as noted in reports from the Capital Research Center (Official Time – Government Workers Perform Union Duties on the Taxpayers’ Dime).
This practice is particularly concerning in education, where funds are already stretched thin. It seems likely that this could take experienced educators out of classrooms, replacing them with substitutes and potentially lowering educational quality.
Impact on Education
Research suggests that official time in schools siphons hundreds of millions, if not billions, from education budgets over decades. This means less money for textbooks, teacher training, teacher pay, or classroom resources. For instance, millions were spent on union official time for many years in Fairfax County, Arlington County, Harrisonburg, and Alexandria in Virginia, even without collective bargaining contracts, highlighting the widespread nature of this scheme to have taxpayers fund private unions like the NEA.
This amounts to education budget transfers to subsidize private organizations like the AFT and the NEA.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
The Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court ruling in 2018 declared that government unions are inherently political, suggesting that using taxpayer money to fund them might be an illegal political activity. This adds a legal dimension to the debate, with most arguing that union dues, not tax dollars, should cover union costs. And, evidence leans toward this being a significant issue, with reports like those from the U.S. GAO noting the lack of transparency and limited responsive information in tracking official time costs (Federal Labor Relations: Official Time Used for Union Activities | U.S. GAO).
And, if the Supreme Court could see government union negotiations are all political; that is something for you to consider. Interestingly, in the private sector, this type of arrangement between an Employer and a Labor Union would be illegal. It is illegal because of the obvious potential for corruption. Now, imagine a school board, or county board member, or city board member, or mayor who might want to use taxpayer funds to subsidize unions to reward them for political support during are-elections campaingns.
DOGE’s Potential Role
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), part of the Trump administration and led by Elon Musk, is focused on cutting wasteful spending. It could play a key role by:
- Ending official time for federal teachers, ensuring they focus on teaching rather than union work.
- Conditioning education grants by refusing funds to states or localities that allow official time, pushing for reform at all levels.
Recent actions, such as cutting nearly $900 million from Education Department contracts not focused on classroom instruction, show DOGE’s intent eliminate extraneous expenditures. Extending this on target approach to official time could refocus funds on students, a move that seems likely to resonate with taxpayers tired of funding teacher unions’ political activities and parents tired of failing schools.
Background on Official Time
Official time, as defined by federal law under Title V of the U.S. Code, allows federal employees to perform union duties while on the clock, paid by taxpayers. This practice, established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, includes activities like negotiating collective bargaining agreements, filing grievances, and even lobbying Congress, as detailed in a 2012 Heritage Foundation report (Who Pays for “Official Time” and Why Americans Should Be Concerned | The Heritage Foundation). The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) has ruled that some employees can devote 100% of their time to union activities, a practice criticized for lacking transparency, with agencies not required to report comprehensive data on its use (Official Time – Capital Research Center).
For instance, in 2019, over 2.6 million hours of official time were used at a cost of around $163 million, according to a Federal News Network article (A Senate bill revives the official union time question). The report disclosed that there is significant underreporting, and this lack of accountability is a concern. In addition, the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General noted finding 23% of managers reporting abuse of official time, which was often ignored (Who Pays for “Official Time” and Why Americans Should Be Concerned | The Heritage Foundation).
Federal Level: DoDEA and Teacher Unions Example
At the federal level, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) operates 161 accredited schools in 11 foreign countries, 7 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, serving over 67,000 students with more than 14,000 employees (Your Salary | DoDEA). DoDEA teachers are represented by the Overseas Federation of Teachers, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) (Overseas Federation of Teachers Website).
A significant historical case from 1986 by the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) involved the Overseas Federation of Teachers and the DOD Dependent Schools Mediterranean Region (FLRA Decision on Overseas Federation of Teachers). The union proposed adding one full-time union representative on official time, and the FLRA concluded that the agency failed to show how this would negatively impact operations, suggesting that such arrangements are feasible. This indicates that DoDEA likely continues to provide official time for union activities, aligning with federal employee union practices.
While specific cost data for DoDEA teacher unions is not publicly available, and it is reasonable to infer that DoDEA official time contributes to its total budget given its size and unionized workforce.
Ethical Considerations
Ethically, the practice is contentious, with taxpayers funding private union operations instead of public services. CEAFU suggests union dues should cover these costs.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), established under the Trump administration and led by Elon Musk, is focused on cutting wasteful spending. DOGE should move to:
- End all official time including those for federal teachers, ensuring they focus on educational duties. Or having not actually worked for the government for years, these jobs can be eliminated.
- End federal education grants awarded to states or localities allowing official time, leveraging federal funding to create nationwide official time reform.
These actions could refocus education funds on students and potentially improving education outcomes.
Comparative Analysis: States and Federal Policy
The text suggests every state should follow DOGE’s proposed lead, noting examples like Arizona, where the Supreme Court struck down official time for public-sector unions, citing violations of state statute (A Senate bill revives the official union time question). This state-level variation shows the potential for broader reform, with federal policy influencing local practices through grant conditions.
Table: Statistics on Official Time
Below is a table summarizing data on official time, based on available reports:
| Year | Hours Reported | Estimated Cost | Source |
| 2019 | 2.6 million | $163 million | Federal News Network |
| 1995 | 1.7 million (Postal Service) | Not fully reported | U.S. GAO |
| 1995 | 404,000 (Social Security) | Not fully reported | U.S. GAO |
This table underscores the scale of official time, with costs and hours varying by agency, and highlights the lack of uniform reporting, a point of contention in reform discussions.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
Rebuilding education with DOGE involves addressing official time to ensure tax dollars support classrooms, not union politics. Proposed actions should enhance efficiency and reduce the tension between teachers who are teaching and those who are getting paid to do union work instead. they must balance against potential impacts on educational research and union rights. DOGE can help education contracts focus on improving long-term improvement on student outcomes rather than the long-term financial viability of Big Education Unions.
Key Citations
