News Story

Teachers Union: Yes to Reparations, No to Impeachment, Yes to Abortion

NEA’s annual conference resolutions are revealing

At its annual conference, the National Education Association voted on a series of business resolutions, establishing positions for the entity. While it is mostly a union of education employees, the NEA took stances on a host of issues, including abortion, reparations, global warming and Black Lives Matter.

The NEA is the largest union in the United States, with around 3 million members. Here is a summary of the positions taken, several as previously reported by Michigan Capitol Confidential.

Abortion

“[T]he NEA will include an assertion of our defense of a person's right to control their own body, especially for women, youth, and sexually marginalized people. The NEA vigorously opposes all attacks on the right to choose and stands on the fundamental right to abortion under Roe v. Wade.”

Gender pronouns

“The National Education Association will create space in all individuals’ name tags, badges, and IDs for the individuals’ pronouns. The individuals’ pronouns will only be left off at the individual’s request. …This NBI supports the LGBTQ+ community by normalizing gender pronouns.”

Immigrant “concentration camps”

“The NEA will publicize our vigorous defense of immigrants’ rights, defending the right to asylum, ending the criminalization of border crossings, opposing child separation, the construction of a border wall, and immediately shutting down immigrant concentration camps.”

Hair discrimination

The National Education Association resolved at its recent annual conference to educate its members about the negative impact of excluding students from school activities due to their natural hairstyles. The resolution aims to halt students’ natural hairstyles from “being modified by any school officials, school staff, referees or any other individuals in a public school or higher education environment.”

“The practice of hair discrimination impacts students’ well-being, self-image, and social interactions,” the NEA resolution stated. “We should support and respect all people regardless of their differences.”

U.S. to blame for border crisis

The National Education Association, which is the nation’s largest teachers union, has resolved to call on the government of the United States to accept responsibility for the destabilization of Central American countries, including, but not limited to, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. At its recent annual meeting the NEA formally adopted the viewpoint that this destabilization was caused by the U.S. government and is a root cause of the recent increase of people seeking asylum at the border.

Climate change/global warming

“We must embrace the imminent crisis of climate change. Every student must be exposed to the threat their generation faces. They must also be told of the real solutions and how they can make a difference.”

The union also passed resolutions supporting Black Lives Matter, mandatory paid leave time, forgiving 100% of college loans and reparations for descendants of slaves.

Not all resolutions passed. A resolution against antisemitism was not immediately passed, but referred to another committee since it would cost an estimated $1,000. A resolution supporting the impeachment of President Donald Trump also went down to defeat.

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.