WASHINGTON — With the American Federation of Teachers preparing to hold its national convention in Washington, D.C., July 16–19, Americans for Fair Treatment is putting the union’s own financial and political records on the table.
A new “Where Do Your Union Dues Go?” report examines the national union’s most recent IRS filing, federal lobbying disclosures and Federal Election Commission records. The findings reveal an organization that paid its president nearly $600,000, spent $72 million on its own workforce, suffered consecutive operating deficits and directed nearly all contributions from its separate federal political action committee to Democratic-aligned recipients.
The report arrives as delegates prepare to consider a 204-page book of proposed constitutional amendments and resolutions at the union’s biennial convention.
“Before delegates vote on higher assessments, an unprecedented election mobilization and a resolution targeting the people following the money, educators deserve to see the receipts,” said Chip Rogers, CEO of Americans for Fair Treatment. “Those receipts show a national union that paid its president $592,548, spent $72 million on its own employees and saw its net assets fall by nearly $19 million in two years.”
The receipts: What the union’s records reveal
Americans for Fair Treatment’s investigation found:
- $592,548 in total compensation for union President Randi Weingarten. That was approximately 8.5 times the classroom-teacher salary benchmark used in the report. Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick Ingram received $458,965, while Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus received $376,332.
- $72 million spent on the union’s own workforce. Salaries, officer compensation, employee benefits, pension expenses and payroll taxes consumed approximately 32.5 percent of the national union’s fiscal-year 2024 disbursements.
- $36.1 million reported simply as “Contributions.” The publicly filed IRS return does not further identify the recipients or purposes of that expense category. The union also reported $12.8 million for “other” professional services without additional itemization.
- $14.6 million spent on travel and gatherings. The union reported $11.7 million in travel expenses and another $2.9 million for conferences, conventions and meetings.
- An $18.8 million decline in net assets in two years. Net assets fell from approximately $68 million in fiscal year 2022 to $49.1 million in fiscal year 2024—a 27.7 percent decline. The union ran operating deficits of $9.1 million in fiscal year 2023 and $3.5 million in fiscal year 2024.
- 98.5 percent of federal PAC contributions went to Democratic-aligned recipients. Beginning with the 2017–18 election cycle, AFTCOPE—the union’s separate, voluntary federal political action committee—made approximately $30.8 million in contributions, with about $30.4 million going to Democratic-aligned candidates, committees and organizations.
- $12.4 million spent on federal lobbying over eight years. Senate disclosures show approximately $12.4 million in in-house federal lobbying from 2018 through 2025, including work on immigration, firearms, agriculture, telecommunications and other issues extending well beyond education and collective bargaining.
The convention: More money, more politics—and a resolution targeting the watchdog
The convention is not merely a backdrop for the report. It offers a preview of where union leadership and affiliated organizations want to go next.
A proposed constitutional amendment submitted by the union’s Executive Council would increase the monthly per-member assessment paid by local affiliates from $20.43 to $20.68 in September 2026, followed by another increase to $20.93 in September 2027.
The same proposal would increase the portion of each member’s monthly assessment set aside for legislative and political activity from $2.90 to $2.95, and then to $3.00.
Another Executive Council resolution describes the 2026 elections as a “which side are you on” moment and calls on the union, its affiliates and members to undertake an “unprecedented mobilization effort.”
At the same time, an affiliate-sponsored resolution singles out Americans for Fair Treatment by name.
The proposal, submitted by the United Federation of Teachers, Local 2, accuses Americans for Fair Treatment and other organizations of conducting deceptive union opt-out campaigns. It calls for a national initiative to portray those organizations as fronts for special interests and urges the union to pursue legal and legislative avenues limiting their use of public-records laws to contact public employees.
“One proposed resolution would label Americans for Fair Treatment a front group. Our answer is the union’s own filings,” Rogers said. “Teachers can decide for themselves whether nearly $600,000 in presidential compensation, $72 million spent on the union’s own employees, shrinking net assets and an overwhelmingly partisan federal PAC reflect their priorities.”
“The union’s answer to scrutiny should be transparency—not a campaign against the organization asking where the money went.”
Far beyond classrooms and collective bargaining
Other affiliate-submitted resolutions in the convention book would direct the union to:
- Immediately abolish and dismantle ICE, in a resolution that describes its agents as “gestapo shock troops”;
- Call for the impeachment, conviction and removal of President Donald Trump, along with a national march on Washington before the November 2026 elections;
- Support cutting the United States military budget by at least 50 percent;
- Make candidate support for guaranteed basic income a consideration in union endorsements; and
- Advocate for comprehensive reproductive and gender-affirming care in employer health plans and collective bargaining agreements.
These resolutions were submitted by various union affiliates and have not been adopted as national union policy. The convention book expressly states that inclusion does not constitute endorsement and does not mean a proposal will be adopted—or even debated on the convention floor.
“No one is suggesting every proposal in the convention book will pass,” Rogers said. “But the proposals tell members what powerful factions inside the union want to prioritize. When those priorities include impeachment, abolishing ICE, slashing the military budget and targeting organizations that educate workers about their constitutional rights, dues-paying educators deserve to know.”
“Public employees are free to support a union. They are also free to decline union membership. Americans for Fair Treatment will continue to educate, advocate and litigate so workers can make that decision for themselves—fully informed and without fear of retaliation.”
The full “Where Do Your Union Dues Go?” report is available here.
Public-sector employees with questions about union membership or dues may visit AmericansForFairTreatment.org or call (833) 969-FAIR.