WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans for Fair Treatment today released its first state-level “Where Do Your Dues Go?” report, beginning in Pennsylvania with a sweeping look at how five major public-sector unions spend dues collected from workers across the Commonwealth.
The new Pennsylvania release includes a statewide Union Dues Snapshot and five full white papers examining the Pennsylvania State Education Association, AFSCME Council 13, SEIU Local 668, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers Local 400.
AFFT’s analysis of publicly available financial filings and campaign finance records shows a clear pattern: public employees are sending millions into union systems, but only a fraction of those dollars reaches workplace representation. Instead, dues are frequently routed to national union affiliates, political operations, administrative overhead, hotel and conference spending, and growing union payrolls.
Read the Pennsylvania Union Dues Snapshot HERE
“Pennsylvania workers deserve to know where their money goes the moment it leaves their paycheck,” said Chip Rogers, CEO of Americans for Fair Treatment. “For too long, union leaders have talked about solidarity while building political machines and bureaucracies funded by workers who may never see where their dues actually go. This report puts the receipts on the table. When only pennies on the dollar reach workplace representation, every worker, lawmaker, and taxpayer should demand answers.”
The Pennsylvania reports reveal that several unions spend dramatically more on national affiliates, internal operations, staff benefits, payroll, and political activity than on the core workplace representation members are told their dues support.
Among the findings:
PSEA devoted less than 15 cents of every dollar to representational activities while forwarding $30.5 million to the National Education Association and spending $3.9 million on political activities and lobbying in FY 2025.
SEIU Local 668 spent 29 percent of disbursements on representation while spending $3 million on staff benefits, $2.4 million in per-capita payments to national SEIU, and $4.3 million in total employee compensation.
AFSCME Council 13 spent just 23.4 percent of disbursements on representation, sent more than $6.3 million to national AFSCME, and ended the year more than $50 million in the red. Council 13’s payee records reveal $656,553 blown at resorts and hotel properties, all categorized as union administration, not representation.
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers sent 42.9 percent of its budget to affiliate unions and had more than 61 percent of its budget flow to affiliate payments, officer compensation, and employee benefits rather than direct member services.
Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers Local 400 spent only $9,348 — just 0.4 percent of expenses — on bargaining and representational costs, while forwarding $1.1 million to parent unions and paying three full-time officers a combined $427,575.
“Transparency is not an attack on workers. It is a defense of workers,” said Rogers. “Pennsylvania public employees are told their dues pay for representation. These filings tell a much different story. Lawmakers should ask why organizations collecting millions from public workers operate with so little sunlight, especially when dues are diverted into politics, national union structures, and administrative costs that many workers may not support.”
AFFT’s “Where Do Your Dues Go?” project is designed to give public employees, policymakers, journalists, and taxpayers a clear look at how union dues are actually spent. The Pennsylvania release is the first in a broader nationwide transparency initiative that will examine public-sector union finances state by state.
“Union accountability starts with one simple question. Where did the money go?” Rogers continued. “Workers do not need talking points. They need facts. They need transparency. And they need to know they have constitutional rights when it comes to union membership and dues.”
The full Pennsylvania report package is available below:
Pennsylvania Union Dues Snapshot
PSEA — Where Do Your Dues Go?
AFSCME Council 13 — Where Do Your Dues Go?
SEIU Local 668 — Where Do Your Dues Go?
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers — Where Do Your Dues Go?
Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers Local 400 — Where Do Your Dues Go?
Public-sector employees who want to learn more about their rights, including their right to opt out of union membership and stop paying dues, can visit americansforfairtreatment.org.