NEA has 'abandoned' its union values, 'using racist and sexist language at the bargaining table,' says staff union
Union staff has held several informational pickets and is now engaged in "work to rule."
By Peter List, Editor | June 14, 2024
The union staff at the National Education Association (NEA)—the nation’s largest union—is accusing union management of not living up to its “union values” as the NEA “drags its feet” following the union’s contract with NEA expiring on May 31st.
The National Education Association Staff Organization (NEASO) is one of three unions that represent NEA staff. Each has separate contracts with union management.
“The National Education Association Staff Organization (NEASO), representing employees working at the National Education Association (NEA) headquarters in Washington, is sounding the alarm over its negotiations with management over a successor agreement,” the union stated in a press release. “The three-year contract covers everything from employee salaries and healthcare benefits to retirement security and healthy working environments.”
The union goes on to explain:
However, the management team at the nation’s largest union—which represents 3 million dedicated educators, public employees, and healthcare workers—is using the same anti-worker playbook against its staff that NEA stands up against every day across the nation. Dragging its feet on negotiations, NEA Management is using classic union-busting tactics like running out the clock at the table, forcing staff to work on an expired contract, tiering employee healthcare and retirement benefits, and contracting outside, often non-union and for-profit vendors to do union work on behalf of our union members. NEA holds itself out as an organization dedicated to racial and social justice. Yet, its negotiation team uses racist and sexist language at the bargaining table that is steeped in America’s slavery past and has disproportionately targeted staff members of color with disciplinary and punitive measures.
“The staff at the National Education Association have dedicated their lives to ensuring that all students have access to an excellent and just public education, no matter what they look like or where they live,” said NEASO President Robin McLean, who has worked for nearly 23 years to fulfill NEA’s mission for its members. “NEA’s Management team is fighting their staff on things they would never recommend NEA members agree to during negotiations. Once again, the nation’s largest union is utterly failing to live up to its union values.”
In late April, NEA’s union staff authorized their union to call a strike against the NEA, if necessary.
“NEASO staff are observing work to rule and have held several informational pickets at the NEA Headquarters,” the union stated in an email.
“Last year,” the union stated, “NEA Management forced AFSE members to work without a contract for more than six months.”