Why are teachers’ unions backing anti-Supreme Court group?

Teachers’ unions have shown their true colors during and after the coronavirus pandemic when it comes to politics. Another example of their political partisanship is the participation of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National Education Association (NEA) in an anti-Supreme Court advocacy effort led by the newly-formed progressive group United for Democracy (UFD).

UFD’s main goal is to “rein in” the Supreme Court by putting “power back in the hands of citizens,” according to its website. Meaning, UFD wants to control the Court by applying legislative pressure and laws. Their intent would circumvent, if not violate, the checks and balances contained in the U.S. Constitution.

After all, the judicial branch (the Court) is a separate government branch from the legislative (Congress) and executive (President) and none can legally control the other.

LaborUnionNews pointed out that UFD lists “over 100 left-wing activist groups—from unions to abortion-rights, environmentalists and gun control groups” on its website. Some of the notable partners for UFD are, as follows:

• Services Employees International Union (SEIU)
• MoveOn
• March for Our Lives
• Center for Popular Democracy
• End Citizens United

Adding to that, LaborUnionNews noted that UFD’s donations are not tax-deductible, which calls into question whether it has officially registered as a 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 non-profit organization.

But the overall question remains: why are teachers’ unions like AFT and NEA backing a politically progressive, anti-Supreme Court? The answer is likely because they too are a progressive activist group that cares more about politics than serving the needs of teachers and students.

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