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The case was withdrawn in November 2018.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 | Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Editorial: Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board needs to step up
September 14, 2016 | Reading Eagle

Union Contribution Dispute Sent Back To Pa. Labor Board
September 8, 2016 | Law360

Here’s how unions misuse names and money for political gain
September 27, 2014 | PennLive

PSEA oops: Letters & the law
September 23, 2014 | TribLive

Teachers Union Ignores State Law Against Campaign Spending
November 19, 2014 | The Washington Free Beacon

Pa. teacher files labor relations complaint against union over political mailing
November 18, 2014 | TribLive

Professor: Union dues wrongly used for politics
November 18, 2014 | New Pittsburgh Courier

Teacher files against union for backing Wolf
November 18, 2014 | The Philadelphia Inquirer