Report: Four Largest Public-Sector Unions Spent $915M on 2024 Politics — Report Says 86% Came From Member Dues

Overview

A new analysis from the Commonwealth Foundation, a Pennsylvania-based free-market nonprofit, reports that the nation’s four largest public-sector unions — the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) — spent a combined $915 million on federal and state elections and progressive political activity during the 2024 election cycle.

Key Finding on Funding Sources

The foundation’s report asserts that 86% of that political spending was paid for with union membership dues rather than voluntary political contributions. It also reports that the unions directed $650 million of their political spending to activities the report describes as political (the report labels that $650 million as "86%" of political spending). Note: the report’s dollar figures and percentage statements appear inconsistent when compared directly (see below for clarification).

How the Report Breaks Down Spending

According to the Commonwealth Foundation, the unions’ expenditures fall into multiple categories:

• Federal and National Politics: About $755 million was spent on federal elections and national progressive political activity.
• State-Level Politics: State affiliates reportedly spent roughly $160 million on state races and ideological causes.
• Representational Activities: The report estimates roughly $642 million (about 25% in the report's breakdown) went to representational activities such as contract negotiations and grievance processing — the category most closely tied to direct member services.
• Overhead and Administration: Approximately $845 million (about 33% in the report's breakdown) went to general overhead, union administration, staff benefits and other basic operations.
• PAC Contributions: The report says federally registered union PACs accounted for about 14% of the groups’ reported political spending; PAC funds are voluntary deductions that can be directed straight to candidates.

Critics’ Perspective

"What they're doing when they're making these political investments is they're trying to get people into office that will raise taxes and increase the size and scope of government," said Aaron Withe, a public-sector unions expert quoted by Fox News Digital. Withe argued that public-sector unions are incentivized to support candidates who expand government employment and spending.

David Osborne, senior director of labor policy at the Commonwealth Foundation and co-author of the report, asked whether rank-and-file members know how their dues are being used. "Years ago, members could expect dues to fund member services, including contract negotiations and grievance processing. Now, union members are unwittingly propping up left-leaning candidates and progressive causes," he said.

Transparency Concerns and Report Caveats

The report warns that union leaders sometimes route dues-funded political activity through outside vehicles such as super PACs and 527 organizations, which can obscure how member money is used. It also highlights that PAC funds — which are collected voluntarily — are treated differently under federal rules than membership dues.

Clarification on Figures: The report presents several numerical breakdowns that can be confusing when viewed together. The $915 million figure refers specifically to political spending in the 2024 cycle (federal and state). The report also lists $650 million as the dollar amount tied to dues-funded political activity and describes that amount as 86% of political spending; mathematically, $650 million is about 71% of $915 million. Similarly, the listed amounts for representational activities ($642 million) and overhead ($845 million) appear to be part of a broader set of union expenditures beyond the $915 million political total. These inconsistencies are noted here so readers can weigh the report’s conclusions and numbers carefully.

Response and Next Steps

Fox News Digital reached out to the NEA, AFT, SEIU and AFSCME for comment; the outlet reported no reply by publication time. The Commonwealth Foundation’s report raises questions about internal union transparency, member awareness and how dues and voluntary contributions are distinguished and reported. Readers interested in the full methodology and source documents should consult the Commonwealth Foundation’s published report for detailed tables and notes.

Context

The foundation compared the 2024 figures with its analysis of the 2022 election cycle, which found that the same four unions had spent a combined $708 million on progressive politics during that cycle.