NJEA President Sean Spiller faces backlash over union funding in governor campaign

💲 NJEA President Sean Spiller is running for NJ governor
💲 His union vows to spend $35 million to support him
💲 Teachers are furious their union dues are being used

Some New Jersey teachers are shocked and furious to learn their union dues are being used to fund a candidate for governor.

The New Jersey Education Association has said they expect to spend as much as $35 million in the primary campaign.

Current NJEA president Sean Spiller is seeking the Democratic nomination.

He recently announced he has not raised enough money on his own to qualify for matching funds. However, unlike other candidates who fail to meet that threshold, he has not dropped out of the race.

Why should he? His own union is funneling tens of millions of dollars through a group called "Working New Jersey." The group is packed with former NJEA executives.

It essentially gives Spiller a huge campaign war chest that far exceeds what the other candidates can spend.

Candidates that qualify for, and accept, public matching funds are limited by a spending cap of $8.7 million. Spiller's defacto war chest is nearly four times as large.

In order to qualify to participate in primary candidate debates, a candidate must qualify for matching funds.

Spiller will not be invited to the debates, but that further insulates him from having to answer tough questions alongside his political rivals. He can frame his candidacy any way he chooses with virtually unlimited funds to buy paid media.

He defended his union's expenditures during a recent interview with NJ Spotlight News.

"We support collectively being able to raise our voices. We support collectively being able to pool our dollars to compete with those millionaire and billionaires that we've seen in so many spaces and ways," Spiller said.

Teachers shocked and furious

Most of the teachers who called the New Jersey 101.5 morning show or left comments on the NJ101.5 app asked to be anonymous because they feared retaliation from union leaders for speaking out.

One teacher said he attended a recent union meeting and he and other staff members were presented literature touting the Spiller campaign and pressured to vote for him. He says they were not told at that meeting that the union was spending union dues to support the candidacy.

Another teacher defended the NJEA, to a point. "The union has protected me in some sticky situation where I could've lost my job," she said. "But, I was not asked and I do not endorse Sean Spiller. I have been contemplating whether or not to cancel my union membership."

For many teachers who have to dig deep into their own pockets for classroom supplies, they found this whole situation insulting.

"When there's budget cuts and some schools laying off teachers or half day programs due to funding, we should be focusing on education and teacher protection considering we are not getting backed up in the classroom," a veteran teacher said, "This just shows how teachers are silenced and expected to follow like a herd from the union, we can’t do anything without retaliation."

One caller pointed out it is not just teachers being effected. A bus driver from Morris County says she is employed by the board of education, and a member of the NJEA. "Every single piece of literature that we receive via email and snail mail, includes something from Spiller or the NJEA - pushing for his run for governor. It's obnoxious honestly," she said.

Leaving the NJEA

The issue had prompted some teachers to ditch the NJEA.

"I quit the NJEA because I don’t support their agenda. I certainly don’t support Spiller using union funds for his campaign," one listener told us.

There is a mechanism in place to leave the union and refuse to pay union dues. It is permitted under law, but the NJEA does not make it easy.

NJEA members can file an opt-out request, but according to NJEA's membership card, opt-out requests must be submitted before Jan 1 or July 1 of any given year.

You can fill out an opt-out any time, but it may only be processed by the NJEA during the specified time period.

John, from Howell, said he is glad he opted out. "I left the union years ago! NJEA is corrupt," he told us.

The Freedom Foundation has created a form that makes the process of withdrawing from the NJEA easier. You can access that form by clicking this link.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom