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Unions allocated $700 million to causes linked to the Democratic Party

Organizations like the AFT, the NEA, the AFSCME and the SEIU invested more money for the benefit of the left than for their own members.

El Partido Demócrata

(Voz Media / Unsplash / Wikimedia Commons)

Published by
Alejandro Baños

The four major unions in the United States spent huge amounts of money funding leftist movements or political action committees (PACs) linked to the Democratic Party during the 2021-2022 political cycle. They also funded Democratic candidates who ran in the last midterm elections. Their expenditure on pressure groups and progressive candidates was greater than what they used to represent and advise their own members.

According to a report from the non-profit organization Commonwealth Foundation, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) allocated $708.8 million to benefit progressive causes.

Report How Government Unions Fund Politics Across the Country by Williams Perdomo on Scribd

$155 million more than what was allocated to affiliates

The organization reflected that the four unions invested $554 million in supporting their representatives. That is, around $155 million less than those employed in progressive pressure groups, even considering that the dues paid by members are the unions' greatest source of income.

"Most of a union's revenue comes from its membership, in the form of member dues. Given this fact, it may make sense for the unions to allocate most financial resources toward membership support. However, this is not the case. The four largest government unions spent over $2.79 billion in 2021 and 2022, yet representational activities, the spending category most closely linked to membership support, only accounted for $554 million, or less than 20% of total expenditures," the report explains.

The "considerable" union influence

In statements to Fox News, the head of labor policy at the Commonwealth Foundation, David Osborne, said that the influence that unions have on politics is "considerable," which is why they decided to subsidize "leaders who protect their interests":

Our research illuminates the considerable political influence wielded by government unions, both in Washington, D.C., and in states throughout the nation. Government unions use this power not only to advance leftist causes but also to elect political leaders who will protect their interests and influence. The result, unfortunately, is that federal, state and local governments are increasingly led by politicians who care more about union executives than union members or taxpayers.

Raphael Warnock, the lucky one

Unions' generosity toward the Democratic Party was reflected in a ranking prepared by the Commonwealth Foundation. All ten of the top ten beneficiaries of union financial contributions are Democratic.

The luckiest member is Raphael Warnock, who managed to secure the Democratic majority in the Senate in the last midterm elections after a tough electoral fight against Republican Herschel Walker. According to the report, the senator from Georgia received $60,500 from the unions, putting him in first place in the ranking.

After Warnock was Troy Carter ($58,000) followed by the minority leader in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries ($50,000). He was followed by Alex Padilla ($45,000); Mandela Barnes ($45,000); Melanie Stansbury ($43,000); Tim Ryan ($42,000); Steven Horsford ($41,500); Shontel Brown ($41,000); and, finally, Susie Lee ($40,000).

By state, the most successful was Illinois, followed by California, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Washington. All of them are governed by the Democratic Party and have two Democratic senators.

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