Prof. Discovers Union Using Her Dues Money, Name for Soliciting Political Votes from Non-Members

Trometter v. NEA

You’d probably feel betrayed if someone used your name r to solicit votes for a candidate without your consent. But what if they sent that mailer to your spouse, lied about who you were voting for, and made you pay for it all, consequently violating state law in the process? That’s exactly what the National Education Association (NEA) and the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) did to Mary Trometter. Now, she’s demanding answers.

Mary’s Husband Receives Political Mail From NEA, Using Her Name


Mary has been a member of the PSEA for more than 20 years. The first member of her immediate family to graduate from college, Mary is an Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Mary’s husband received a letter from the NEA’s Super Political Action Committee (PAC) days before the Pennsylvania gubernatorial election. Equally important is the fact that union membership dues fund the NEA PAC. The letter urged him, as a “family member of an educator,” to vote for Tom Wolf in the election. It ended with a plea to her husband: “Please join Mary in voting for Tom Wolf for Governor on November 4th.”

The letter, signed by the Presidents of PSEA and NEA, was paid for by the NEA Advocacy Fund (the NEA’s independent expenditure committee or “SuperPAC.”) The NEA itself gives the NEA Advocacy Fund more than $12 million, including money from union members’ dues. This unquestionably violates section 1701 of the Public Employee Relations Act, which states:

“No employe organization shall make any contribution out of the funds of the employe organization either directly or indirectly to any political party or organization or in support of any political candidate for public office.”

Mary decided to expose these union officials’ misconduct with the help of the Fairness Center.

Order Enforces Union Political Spending Statute


In November of 2014, Mary, with the help of the Fairness Center, filed a Charge of Illegal Contributions against PSEA and NEA with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB). She claimed that the use of union dues to fund political campaigns was in violation of the Public Employee Relations Act (PERA). An act that specifically prohibits government employees’ union dues from being used “either directly or indirectly” to support political candidates.

However, the PLRB attempted to avoid enforcing the PERA by moving the issue to the attorney general. Mary won her appeal of that decision, remanding the issue back to the PLRB. This remand effectively ordered the PLRB to enforce the statute restricting the political spending of public unions for the first time in 45 years.

Trometter v. NEA is closed.


Documents

You’d probably feel betrayed if someone used your name r to solicit votes for a candidate without your consent. But what if they sent that mailer to your spouse, lied about who you were voting for, and made you pay for it all, consequently violating state law in the process? That’s exactly what the National Education Association (NEA) and the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) did to Mary Trometter. Now, she’s demanding answers.

Mary’s Husband Receives Political Mail From NEA, Using Her Name


Mary has been a member of the PSEA for more than 20 years. The first member of her immediate family to graduate from college, Mary is an Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Mary’s husband received a letter from the NEA’s Super Political Action Committee (PAC) days before the Pennsylvania gubernatorial election. Equally important is the fact that union membership dues fund the NEA PAC. The letter urged him, as a “family member of an educator,” to vote for Tom Wolf in the election. It ended with a plea to her husband: “Please join Mary in voting for Tom Wolf for Governor on November 4th.”

The letter, signed by the Presidents of PSEA and NEA, was paid for by the NEA Advocacy Fund (the NEA’s independent expenditure committee or “SuperPAC.”) The NEA itself gives the NEA Advocacy Fund more than $12 million, including money from union members’ dues. This unquestionably violates section 1701 of the Public Employee Relations Act, which states:

“No employe organization shall make any contribution out of the funds of the employe organization either directly or indirectly to any political party or organization or in support of any political candidate for public office.”

Mary decided to expose these union officials’ misconduct with the help of the Fairness Center.

Order Enforces Union Political Spending Statute


In November of 2014, Mary, with the help of the Fairness Center, filed a Charge of Illegal Contributions against PSEA and NEA with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB). She claimed that the use of union dues to fund political campaigns was in violation of the Public Employee Relations Act (PERA). An act that specifically prohibits government employees’ union dues from being used “either directly or indirectly” to support political candidates.

However, the PLRB attempted to avoid enforcing the PERA by moving the issue to the attorney general. Mary won her appeal of that decision, remanding the issue back to the PLRB. This remand effectively ordered the PLRB to enforce the statute restricting the political spending of public unions for the first time in 45 years.

Trometter v. NEA is closed.

Documents

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