Where do teachers' NEA dues go?

Teachers who become members of the Alabama Education Association are also required to become members of the National Education Association. There is no way for an AEA member to opt out of NEA membership. According to the AEA Constitution: "All local affiliates [of the AEA] shall require their members to hold membership in the Alabama Education Association and the National Education Association."

So, if you're one of the 94,000 AEA members, you are forced to pay dues to the NEA, whether you like it or not. The New Editor takes a look at where those NEA dues go. (For info on how the AEA spends its dues dollars, check here.)

Given the NEA's left-wing agenda, it is not surprising that a 2002 survey of AEA members indicated that a large percentage of them would opt out of NEA membership if they could.

According to the Education Intelligence Agency:

...the AEA survey has a unique question. It deals with NEA’s unified dues structure. Established in the early 1970s when NEA made the shift from professional association to labor union, the policy dictated that NEA members must become members and pay dues at all levels – local, state and national. AEA asked its members if, given a choice, they would choose to belong to both AEA and NEA, or just AEA alone. A majority (57%) like the current structure just fine, but a surprising [me: surprising???] 38% said they would opt out of NEA if allowed.

It is obvious that many Alabama teachers are uncomfortable with the leftist politics of the AEA and the NEA. So, why do they continue to join?