The Illinois Education Association-NEA is a left-of-center teachers union that represents approximately 135,000 teachers in the state of Illinois, making it the largest union in the state. The union has significant lobbying and political influence within the state and has spent millions of dollars to fund the campaigns of Democratic leaders, including the state House Speaker and Senate President. The union has consistently lobbied against school choice programs, opposing the state’s Invest in Kids program, which provided state-funded scholarships for low-income students to attend private schools.

While many states do not allow teachers to go on strike, Illinois has no such law. IEA and its local unions have threatened to strike 188 times from 2010 to 2023 and have gone on strike 63 times during that same period. IEA is a state affiliate of the National Education Association, the larger of America’s national teachers unions. ^{1 2 3 4}

History

The Illinois Education Association (IEA) was founded in 1853 in Bloomington, Illinois as the Illinois State Teachers’ Association. It became affiliated with the National Education Association, with which it remains affiliated today, in 1857. ⁵

The union lobbied for the creation of a state superintendent of education position in is early years and allowed women to become members in 1871. By the 1930s, the organization had a permanent headquarters in the state capital of Springfield. The group successfully lobbied for teacher tenure and minimum salary laws to be adopted in the 1940s. ⁶

In the 1970s the union established its political giving arm, the Illinois Political Action Committee for Education (IPACE), which has remained active. Also in the 1970s, the union leadership, which had largely been comprised of school administrators, was ousted and replaced with teachers. As a result, administrators eventually left the union. ⁷

Structure

The Illinois Education Association (IEA) is the largest union in Illinois in terms of membership with approximately 135,000 members. The union’s membership declined by over 6,000 from 2017 to 2022 following the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Janus v. AFSCME, which allowed public sector employees to refrain from paying previously mandatory union fees. ^{8 9}

The union is led by an executive committee and a full-time staff and directed by a large board of directors that includes representatives from each regional unit within the union. The group also has several representatives on the National Education Association board of directors. ¹⁰

Al Llorens, who was previously vice president of the union, was elected union president in 2023. ¹¹

Lobbying and Collective Bargaining Activity

The Illinois Education Association is among the most active lobbying groups in the state and annually takes a position on dozens of bills supporting left-of-center positions on labor and education issues. The union has consistently opposed the state’s Invest In Kids scholarship program, a popular program among minority communities in the state, calling it a “voucher program” that draws funding away from schools, despite the program being separately funded. ^{12 13}

Other legislative priorities of the group include legislation allowing teachers to take paid time off for union activities, provisions around hiring and resignation, and paid time off and minimum salary. ¹⁴

The group also engages in collective bargaining on behalf of its members. Through this process the union and its local units have threatened to strike 188 times from 2010 to 2023, striking 63 times in that period. ¹⁵

Political Spending

The Illinois Education Association (IEA) operates a large political action committee, the Illinois Political Action Committee for Education (IPACE). As of 2023, IPACE had funded $20 million in legislative campaign contributions to sitting members of the Illinois legislature, contributing to 4 out of 5 members. ¹⁶

The PAC has also provided significant funding to Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) as part of its efforts to prevent the funding and expansion of the state’s Invest in Kids program. Since 2012 the group has contributed $360,000 to Rep. Welch and $291,000 to Sen. Harmon. ¹⁷

1. Smith, Mailee. “Illinois Teachers Unions Have Threatened To Strike 188 Times Since 2010.” Illinois Policy. August 18, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-teachers-unions-have-threatened-to-strike-188-times-since-2010/
2. Smith, Mailee. “Welch, Harmon Get Millions from Teachers Unions Before Blocking School Choice for Poor Kids.” Illinois Policy. June 16, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/welch-harmon-get-millions-from-teachers-unions-before-blocking-school-choice-for-poor-kids/
3. Weisenstein, Brad. “Illinois School Choice Is Very Popular, but Faces Teachers Unions’ Purchasing Power.” Real Clear Policy. October 31, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2023/10/31/illinois_school_choice_is_very_popular_but_faces_teachers_unions_purchasing_power_989716.html
4. “History.” Illinois Education Association. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://ieanea.org/about/history/
5. “History.” Illinois Education Association. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://ieanea.org/about/history/
6. “History.” Illinois Education Association. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://ieanea.org/about/history/
7. “History.” Illinois Education Association. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://ieanea.org/about/history/
8. “IEA: Janus decision could have dramatic impact on public education.” Illinois Education Association. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://ieanea.org/2018/06/27/iea-janus-decision-could-have-dramatic-impact-on-public-education/
9. Smith, Mailee. “NEA, IEA Spend Little On Representing Teachers, But Prioritize Politics.” Illinois Policy. June 16, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/nea-iea-spend-little-on-representing-teachers-but-prioritize-politics/
10. “Leadership.” Illinois Education Association. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://ieanea.org/about/leadership/
11. “IEA Elects New President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer.” Illinois Education Association. March 11, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://ieanea.org/2023/03/11/iea-elects-new-president-vice-president-and-secretary-treasurer/
12. “Illinois Education Association Statement on New Invest in Kids Act Proposal.” Illinois Education Association. October 17, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://ieanea.org/2023/10/17/illinois-education-association-statement-on-new-invest-in-kids-act-proposal/
13. Weisenstein, Brad. “Illinois School Choice Is Very Popular, but Faces Teachers Unions’ Purchasing Power.” Real Clear Policy. October 31, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2023/10/31/illinois_school_choice_is_very_popular_but_faces_teachers_unions_purchasing_power_989716.html
14. “Legislative Wins.” Illinois Education Association. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://ieanea.org/2023/06/05/legislative-wins/
15. Smith, Mailee. “Illinois Teachers Unions Have Threatened To Strike 188 Times Since 2010.” Illinois Policy. August 18, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-teachers-unions-have-threatened-to-strike-188-times-since-2010/
16. Smith, Mailee. “Illinois Teachers Unions Have Threatened To Strike 188 Times Since 2010.” Illinois Policy. August 18, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-teachers-unions-have-threatened-to-strike-188-times-since-2010/
17. Smith, Mailee. “Welch, Harmon Get Millions from Teachers Unions Before Blocking School Choice for Poor Kids.” Illinois Policy. June 16, 2023. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/welch-harmon-get-millions-from-teachers-unions-before-blocking-school-choice-for-poor-kids/