By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

ATLANTA – There is a dedicated group of National Education Association members who are either pro-life, or simply don’t believe a teachers union should be involved with political issues unrelated to education.

Every year they make their presence known at the NEA’s annual convention, and every year they get the cold shoulder from the majority of delegates.

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They are trying again this year during the current NEA convention in Atlanta. A group of 50 delegates has offered a bylaw amendment that would “prohibit the use of dues money to support abortions politically,” according to NEA convention documents.

Union bosses clearly have a dim view of this proposed amendment, as illustrated by the “impact statement” they wrote to delegates who might be tempted to support it.

It refers to NEA Resolution 1-17, which says “NEA supports family planning, including the right to reproductive freedom.” It goes on to say “If adopted this bylaw amendment would prevent NEA from acting on that belief by spending dues money at the federal, state or local level to lobby for comprehensive women’s health insurance coverage that included abortion or medications that induce abortion. Nor could NEA support litigation that sought such coverage, that protected a member from adverse employment action for choosing to have an abortion, or that sought to preserve the right of a woman to choose to have an abortion.”

In other words, they’re urging delegates to vote “no.”

We’re certain their wishes will be met. That was the case in 2003, when pro-life delegates offered an amendment that would have stated that the NEA neither supports nor opposes abortion, according to eagleforum.org.

One delegate that year, Judy Bruns of Ohio, told delegates that the NEA exists to promote “fair salaries” and “benefits” and education improvements, not to involve itself in political issues that have nothing to do with education, according to EagleForum.org.

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As a news report put it, the amendment was “overwhelmingly rejected.”

Perhaps someday the majority of delegates will rise up, take back their union and focus NEA resources on education issues. Until then, we’re sure the brave dissidents will keep knocking on the door, reminding their union brothers and sisters that there is disagreement within the ranks about abortion and the political agenda of the NEA.