In Oregon Revised Statutes 243.650 to 243.782, the state legislature granted private organizations the ability to secure a monopoly franchise to provide workplace representation services for school district employees. The Oregon Education Association (OEA) garnered nearly all school districts roughly fifty years ago.
Over the years, teachers unions have changed from professional organizations to voluntary unions, and then to forced-fee unions. In the meantime, key consumer protections have not been included in the laws governing the union enterprise. Currently, OEA and affiliated unions typically charge more than $900 for their services. They have taken on a range of roles and financial ventures which are far afield from the core employee assistance which they use to justify the fee.
Union members have no legal right to see the financial records of the union, and Oregon state laws do not require any public disclosure which might help union members evaluate the merits of the union expenditures. Federal laws require minimal disclosure for state-authorized public sector unions. Some of the political activities are disclosed as well. However, nonmembers – those who pay only an agency fee – do have a legal right to see the financial details of union expenditures.
A “Hudson Packet” is the report that the unions must disclose to those nonmembers. It contains the calculation of how much of the unions’ dues/fees the union claims is used for legitimate workplace representation and how much it admits is used for refundable extraneous purposes.
Listed below are resources, and a list of highlighted expenditures, that show some of the ways in which the OEA and affiliates spend their members’ dues money:
Oregon Education Association
- OEA’s 2016-2017 Hudson Packet is available here.
- OEA’s 2015-2016 Hudson Packet is available here.
- OEA’s 2015 IRS Form 990 is available here.
- OEA’s 2014 IRS Form 990 is available here.
- OEA’s 2013 IRS Form 990 is available here.
- OEA’s 2012 IRS Form 990 is available here.
- Oregon Secretary of State’s database on campaign finance is available here.
National Education Association
- NEA’s 2016-2017 Hudson Packet is available here.
- NEA’s 2015-2016 Hudson Packet is available here.
- NEA’s 2016 LM-2 report is available here.
- NEA’s 2015 LM-2 report is available here.
- NEA’s 2014 LM-2 report is available here.
- NEA’s 2013 LM-2 report is available here.
- NEA’s 2012 LM-2 report is available here.
- NEA’s 2015 IRS Form 990 is available here.
- NEA’s 2014 IRS Form 990 is available here.
- NEA’s 2013 IRS Form 990 is available here.
- NEA’s 2012 IRS Form 990 is available here.
OEA and NEA Highlighted Expenditures
OEA
Reported Expenditures
| Year | Union | Recipient/Cause | Notes | Amount | Source |
| 2016 | OEA-PIE | Kate Brown Committee | $50,000 | ORESTAR | |
| 2016 | OEA | Committee to Elect Brad Avakian | $30,000 | ORESTAR | |
| 2016 | OEA | Roberta for Oregon | $7,768.44 | ORESTAR | |
| 2015 | OEA | Defend Oregon | $700,000 | 2015 990 | |
| 2015 | OEA | Our Oregon | $340,000 | 2015 990 | |
| 2014 | OEA | Our Oregon | $300,000 | 2014 990 | |
| 2014 | OEA | Basic Rights Education | $10,000 | 2014 990 | |
| 2014 | OEA | Defend Oregon | $700,000 | ORESTAR | |
| 2014 | OEA | Committee to Elect Brad Avakian | $10,000 | ORESTAR | |
| 2012 | OEA | Defend Oregon | $496,000 | ORESTAR | |
| 2012 | OEA-PIE | Kate Brown Committee | $25,000 | ORESTAR | |
| 2012 | OEA | Committee to Elect Brad Avakian | $24,000 | ORESTAR | |
| 2010 | OEA | Defend Oregon | $50,000 | ORESTAR | |
| 2009 | OEA | Defend Oregon – Tax Fairness | Defend Oregon | $301,000 | ORESTAR |
| 2008 | OEA-PIE | Kate Brown Committee | $135,000 | ORESTAR | |
| 2008 | OEA | Defend Oregon | $229,871.80 | ORESTAR | |
| 2007 | OEA | Defend Oregon Coalition | Defend Oregon | $3,471.96 | ORESTAR |
| 2006 | OEA | Defend Oregon Coalition | Defend Oregon | $30,000 | ORESTAR |
NEA
Reported Expenditures
| Year | Union | Recipient/Cause | Notes | Amount | Source |
| 2015 | NEA | America Votes | $355,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2015 | NEA | Defend Oregon | $500,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2015 | NEA | Progress Now | $225,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2015 | NEA | Center for American Progress | $255,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2015 | NEA | National Center for Transgender Equality | $12,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2015 | NEA | National Women’s Law Center | $10,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2015 | NEA | People for the American Way | $125,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2016 | NEA | ProgressNow | $150,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2016 | NEA | Net Roots | $25,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2016 | NEA | MoveOn.org | $5,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2016 | NEA | Main Street Advocacy Group | $250,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2015 | NEA | America Votes | $110,000 | 2015 990 | |
| 2015 | NEA | Americans United for Change | $50,000 | 2015 990 | |
| 2015 | NEA | Gay Lesbian and Straight Ed Network | $15,000 | 2015 990 | |
| 2014 | NEA | Progressive States Network | $113,300 | 2015 990 | |
| 2014 | NEA | National Center for Transgender Equality | $12,000 | 2014 990 | |
| 2014 | NEA | Gay Lesbian and Straight Ed Network | $15,000 | 2014 990 | |
| 2014 | NEA | American Bridge 21st Century | $150,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2014 | NEA | America Votes | $534,500 | LM-2 | |
| 2014 | NEA | Campaign for America’s Future | $30,000 | LM-2 | |
| 2014 | NEA | NEA Advocacy Fund | $9,834,365 | LM-2 | |
| 1998 | NEA | NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund | $1,000 – $2,499 | NOW |