Teachers union leaders spent thousands at swanky resorts
Same show, different day.
Labor bosses at the two largest teachers unions in the country spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on trips to golf resorts, casinos, and luxury hotels as they criticized the Trump administration for placing financial strain on teachers, financial disclosures from 2025 show.
From Las Vegas to Miami, leaders at the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association enjoyed high-flying accommodations under ambiguous descriptions such as “professional development” and “staff education” last year. In some cases, such as the AFT’s jaunt to Las Vegas’s famous Mandalay Bay resort and casino, the unions didn’t even bother disclosing how they spent their worker-derived funds, simply documenting their spending as “non-itemized transactions.”
While those at the top of the NEA and AFT enjoyed locales such as Palm Springs and Honolulu using funds contributed by working teachers, leadership of those same unions put out statements complaining about how those same educators are under financial strain thanks to policies pursued by the Trump administration.
AFT President Randi Weingarten, for instance, called President Donald Trump’s efforts to rein in Public Service Loan Forgiveness an “assault on borrowers’ livelihoods” that threatens to saddle teachers and other eligible workers with “an insurmountable debt load.”
The NEA, meanwhile, has criticized the Trump administration for cutting back on grants that provide financial incentives for teachers in high-demand areas, with NEA President Becky Pringle accusing the federal government of “com[ing] for our kids, our professions, and our communities.”
National Education Association President Becky Pringle testifies during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)
The unions joined forces in May 2025 to run a $2 million ad campaign aimed at “highlight[ing] the devastating effects of federal budget cuts on working families.” Ads featured anecdotes from union members detailing their financial troubles.
While the unions accused Trump of privileging the rich over the working class, their leaders traveled to destinations typically enjoyed by the wealthy.
The NEA, for instance, spent just over $6,500 at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, according to its 2025 financial report. The resort sits right in front of Waikiki Beach itself, has nine on-site restaurants, hosts regular luaus featuring …
Same show, different day.
Labor bosses at the two largest teachers unions in the country spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on trips to golf resorts, casinos, and luxury hotels as they criticized the Trump administration for placing financial strain on teachers, financial disclosures from 2025 show.
From Las Vegas to Miami, leaders at the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association enjoyed high-flying accommodations under ambiguous descriptions such as “professional development” and “staff education” last year. In some cases, such as the AFT’s jaunt to Las Vegas’s famous Mandalay Bay resort and casino, the unions didn’t even bother disclosing how they spent their worker-derived funds, simply documenting their spending as “non-itemized transactions.”
While those at the top of the NEA and AFT enjoyed locales such as Palm Springs and Honolulu using funds contributed by working teachers, leadership of those same unions put out statements complaining about how those same educators are under financial strain thanks to policies pursued by the Trump administration.
AFT President Randi Weingarten, for instance, called President Donald Trump’s efforts to rein in Public Service Loan Forgiveness an “assault on borrowers’ livelihoods” that threatens to saddle teachers and other eligible workers with “an insurmountable debt load.”
The NEA, meanwhile, has criticized the Trump administration for cutting back on grants that provide financial incentives for teachers in high-demand areas, with NEA President Becky Pringle accusing the federal government of “com[ing] for our kids, our professions, and our communities.”
National Education Association President Becky Pringle testifies during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)
The unions joined forces in May 2025 to run a $2 million ad campaign aimed at “highlight[ing] the devastating effects of federal budget cuts on working families.” Ads featured anecdotes from union members detailing their financial troubles.
While the unions accused Trump of privileging the rich over the working class, their leaders traveled to destinations typically enjoyed by the wealthy.
The NEA, for instance, spent just over $6,500 at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, according to its 2025 financial report. The resort sits right in front of Waikiki Beach itself, has nine on-site restaurants, hosts regular luaus featuring …
Teachers union leaders spent thousands at swanky resorts
Same show, different day.
Labor bosses at the two largest teachers unions in the country spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on trips to golf resorts, casinos, and luxury hotels as they criticized the Trump administration for placing financial strain on teachers, financial disclosures from 2025 show.
From Las Vegas to Miami, leaders at the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association enjoyed high-flying accommodations under ambiguous descriptions such as “professional development” and “staff education” last year. In some cases, such as the AFT’s jaunt to Las Vegas’s famous Mandalay Bay resort and casino, the unions didn’t even bother disclosing how they spent their worker-derived funds, simply documenting their spending as “non-itemized transactions.”
While those at the top of the NEA and AFT enjoyed locales such as Palm Springs and Honolulu using funds contributed by working teachers, leadership of those same unions put out statements complaining about how those same educators are under financial strain thanks to policies pursued by the Trump administration.
AFT President Randi Weingarten, for instance, called President Donald Trump’s efforts to rein in Public Service Loan Forgiveness an “assault on borrowers’ livelihoods” that threatens to saddle teachers and other eligible workers with “an insurmountable debt load.”
The NEA, meanwhile, has criticized the Trump administration for cutting back on grants that provide financial incentives for teachers in high-demand areas, with NEA President Becky Pringle accusing the federal government of “com[ing] for our kids, our professions, and our communities.”
National Education Association President Becky Pringle testifies during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)
The unions joined forces in May 2025 to run a $2 million ad campaign aimed at “highlight[ing] the devastating effects of federal budget cuts on working families.” Ads featured anecdotes from union members detailing their financial troubles.
While the unions accused Trump of privileging the rich over the working class, their leaders traveled to destinations typically enjoyed by the wealthy.
The NEA, for instance, spent just over $6,500 at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, according to its 2025 financial report. The resort sits right in front of Waikiki Beach itself, has nine on-site restaurants, hosts regular luaus featuring …
