DENVER — A new report from Americans for Fair Treatment is giving Colorado educators a clearer look at where their union dues go — and what the Colorado Education Association’s own filings reveal about its financial priorities.
CEA spent $17 million in fiscal year 2025, including $10.5 million — 61.4% of all spending — on salaries, benefits, pensions and payroll taxes for its own staff. For every dollar the union distributed in grants, it spent about $5.88 on its own workforce.
And despite collecting roughly $13 million in membership dues, CEA’s expenses again exceeded its revenue when a one-time asset sale is excluded. CEA reported a $2.6 million surplus, but that included a $3.1 million gain from selling assets. Without that gain, CEA finished $535,034 in the red — the fourth consecutive year its expenses exceeded revenue on that basis.
At the same time, accounts payable and accrued expenses nearly doubled in one year, from approximately $4.4 million to $8.8 million. CEA’s public filing does not specify what drove the increase.
“Colorado teachers work hard for every dollar they earn, and they deserve to know what happens to the money coming out of their paychecks,” said Chip Rogers, CEO of Americans for Fair Treatment. “CEA spent more than $10 million on its own workforce, its recurring revenue again failed to cover its spending, and a one-time asset sale turned the reported bottom line positive. Teachers should have those facts so they can decide whether CEA’s priorities match their own.”
The report also examines CEA-linked political spending. Two committees associated with CEA reported $3.2 million in monetary disbursements between 2015 and August 2026. Of the approximately $1.1 million the Public Education Committee sent to candidates and committees carrying a party label, 99% went to Democratic-aligned recipients and 1% to Republican-aligned recipients, according to AFFT’s analysis of Colorado campaign-finance records.
Other findings include:
- 11 CEA officers and employees received more than $160,000 in total compensation.
- General Counsel and Deputy Executive Director Kris Gomez received a $250,935 total compensation package, compared with a $72,781 average Colorado teacher salary cited in the report.
- CEA staff compensation has risen 51.7% since FY 2016, while dues revenue increased 25.2%.
The Colorado analysis is part of AFFT’s “Where Do Your Union Dues Go?” project, which examines publicly available union financial and political-spending records to help workers understand how their dues are being used.
READ THE FULL REPORT:
Colorado Education Association Report
Colorado Education Association WDYDG Snapshot
Public-sector employees seeking information about union membership, dues deductions and their constitutional rights in the workplace can visit AFFT’s website or call 833-969-FAIR (3247).