by Robert Wright and Lorenzo D’Ettore
The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ union in the United States, faced internal strife as its staff union, the National Education Association Staff Organization (NEASO), initiated a picket line on July 5, shutting down the NEA’s Representative Assembly (RA) convention in Philadelphia. The convention was expected to host over 7,000 teacher union representatives from across the nation and feature a campaign speech by Joe Biden, who later canceled his appearance, claiming to support unions and refusing to cross the picket line, with his campaign stating he is the most “pro-labor President” in recent history.
The NEASO’s 3-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike came weeks after a protest held outside the NEA Headquarters in Washington D.C., where NEA staff staged a walkout for the first time in 50 years. The staff demanded fair contract negotiations, as their previous contract had expired on May 31st. The NEASO filed ULP complaints over wage theft, refusal to disclose information regarding outsourced contracting, and failure to bargain and retaliation against concerted union activity.
On July 8th, following the picket, NEA staff were locked out of the NEA D.C. headquarters, with their phones, travel, and emails deactivated. The NEA informed nearly 300 staff members that they would be locked out without pay or benefits until a contract is reached. This action has been met with disgust from rank-and-file educators, who view it as a reflection of the union-busting tactics employed by the very system of workplace oppression that the NEA claims to fight against.
The NEA’s actions against their staffers expose the ugly face of yellow unionism, where union leadership capitulates to capitalist bureaucracy, fails to meet the needs of the workers they claim to represent, and uses the same union-busting tactics against their own staff. This internal struggle highlights the growing divide between the NEA leadership and rank-and-file educators, who have been fighting for their demands in the interest of both teachers and students.
On July 17th, the NEA and the NEASO reached an agreement of language to jointly approach the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS). The FMCS, established by the Taft-Hartley Act, has a history of favoring corporate and bureaucratic interests over workers’ rights. This joint move is a direct result of the NEA’s pressure tactics, including the lockout, cessation of wage payments, and cancellation of benefits.
As public education faces increasing attacks from reactionaries and stagnant funding, the NEA’s failure to support its own staff sets a dangerous precedent that weakens collective bargaining power for all workers. It is the workers who drive advancements, often having to fight against their own leadership to achieve them. The NEA’s actions serve as a reminder that the struggle for workers’ rights must continue, even against the union leadership that claims to protect them.
Photo: Members of the NEASO on strike outside of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. NEASO Facebook
