Editorial

MEA 'fights for you' while spending very little on actual representation

In a recent video, MEA Secretary-Treasurer Rick Trainor tells members, “No matter what they tell you, we exist to fight for you.” Trainor’s salary was $109,911 in 2013 with a total compensation of $142,287. The average teacher salary was $62,530 in 2013, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

For the Record says: According to the 2013 LM-2 filing with the US. federal government, the MEA collected $133.4 million and spent just $14.2 million on “representational activities” that year. They spent $9.3 million on "political activities and lobbying," $54.6 million on general overhead, $20.8 million on benefits and $5.9 million on union administration.

Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.