Trometter v. National Education Association
CASE SUMMARY
If someone used your name on an election mailer to solicit votes for a candidate without your consent, you’d probably feel betrayed. But what if they sent that mailer to your spouse, lied about who you were voting for, and made you pay for it all—violating state law in the process? That’s exactly what the National Education Association (“NEA”) and the Pennsylvania State Education Association (“PSEA”) did to 20-year union member and educator Mary Trometter, and she’s demanding answers.
Ms. Trometter has been a member of the PSEA for more than 20 years. The first member of her immediate family to graduate from college, Ms. Trometter is currently Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Days before Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial election, Ms. Trometter’s husband received a letter from the NEA’s Super PAC, which is funded using union membership dues. The letter urged him, as a “family member of an educator,” to vote for Tom Wolf in the election. And it ended with a plea to her husband: “Please join Mary in voting for Tom Wolf for Governor on November 4th.”
The letter sent to Ms. Trometter’s husband and signed by the Presidents of PSEA and NEA was paid for by the NEA Advocacy Fund, the NEA’s independent expenditure committee or “SuperPAC.” The NEA Advocacy Fund was financed by more than $12 million from the NEA itself, including money from union members’ dues, which violates section 1701 of the Public Employee Relations Act, which states:
“No employe organization shall make any contribution out of the funds of the employe organization either directly or indirectly to any political party or organization or in support of any political candidate for public office.”
Ms. Trometter decided to expose these union officials’ misconduct with the help of the Fairness Center.
Mary Trometter v. National Education Association and Pennsylvania State Education Association
The case was withdrawn in November 2018.
State appeals court properly rules for Penn College prof
September 15, 2016 |
Editorial: Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board needs to step up
September 14, 2016 |
Union Contribution Dispute Sent Back To Pa. Labor Board
September 8, 2016 |
Here’s how unions misuse names and money for political gain
September 27, 2014 |
PSEA oops: Letters & the law
September 23, 2014 |
Teachers Union Ignores State Law Against Campaign Spending
November 19, 2014 |
Pa. teacher files labor relations complaint against union over political mailing
November 18, 2014 |
Professor: Union dues wrongly used for politics
November 18, 2014 |
Teacher files against union for backing Wolf
November 18, 2014 |
Press Releases
Legality of Unions’ Manipulative Election Mailer Questioned
September 9, 2015
PSEA Admits to Funding Illegal Election Mailer
September 9, 2015
PSEA Flouts State Law for 45 Years
September 9, 2015
Attorney General Kane Must Enforce Law
September 9, 2015
Court Says Labor Board Must Enforce Law
September 8, 2016
Court Documents
Initial Charge of Illegal Contributions (PLRB Proceeding)
November 17, 2014
Response to Complainant’s Charge (PLRB Proceeding)
December 19, 2014
Rebuttal to Respondents’ Response (PLRB Proceeding)
January 14, 2015
PLRB Order Referring to Attorney General
July 21, 2015
PLRB’s Application to Quash
September 4, 2015
Commonwealth Court Order Denying PLRB’s Application to Quash
October 19, 2015
Petition for Review
January 11, 2016
Petitioner’s Initial Brief
January 13, 2016
Amended Charge (PLRB Proceeding)
January 23, 2016
Petitioner’s Reply Brief
March 1, 2016
Commonwealth Court Order Reversing & Remanding Case to PLRB
September 8, 2016
Joint Stipulations of Fact (PLRB Proceeding)
February 1, 2017
Complainant’s Post-Hearing Brief (PLRB Proceeding)
April 14, 2017
PSEA & NEA’s Post-Hearing Brief (PLRB Proceeding)
June 13, 2017
PLRB’s Proposed Order of Dismissal
October 4, 2018
Complainant’s Exceptions to Proposed Order of Dismissal
October 24, 2018
Respondents’ Exceptions to Proposed Order of Dismissal
October 24, 2018