Every year, Education Minnesota — the state teachers’ union — automatically deducts money from member teachers and education support professionals (ESPs) for its political action committee, or PAC. The union’s PAC money is spent on political parties (mostly one party), candidates (from mostly one party), and other political funds (aligned with one party).
Last year, the union increased its annual PAC assessment from $25 to $30 per member. While this is not a lot of money on an individual level, for a number of members it is a matter of principle because of the politics the dollars fund. The union’s 2026 PAC report that covers through mid-September records nearly $3 million has been spent, more than half of which has been sent directly to DFL political party units — the DFL House and Senate Caucuses and the Minnesota DFL State Central Committee. Contributions to candidates total $35,400.
The PAC is also backing local school tax referendum campaigns through mailers, phone banking, and other voter outreach meant to boost approval of local property tax increases.
Separately, it has spent money pushing a “yes” vote on the proposed state constitutional amendment to the Permanent School Fund, and that spending increased significantly since the PAC’s August filing, from roughly $1,400 to nearly $69,000.
Educators who disagree with these political priorities, or who just don’t want the union focused on politics, are not required to support the PAC. But to get the annual PAC contribution refunded, they must request it each year.
PAC refund request forms are available in the union’s magazine Minnesota Educator and must be filled out, signed, and mailed to Education Minnesota’s accounting department.
The union must receive the refund request form by Oct. 31 for continuing members, or within 30 days of signing a membership application for new members, so don’t wait until the last minute to send it in.
Once the form is signed and filled out, mail it to:
Education Minnesota Accounting Department
Attn: Refund Request
41 Sherburne Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55103-2196
Refund checks will be mailed the end of November.
Last year, the union refunded PAC deductions to 1,920 members; in 2024, just over 2,000 members (2,080) requested the refund.
The current PAC funding structure should be reformed. A truly member-driven union would adopt an opt-in system, where members have a choice to contribute in the first place versus the union taking the money and forcing teachers to go through a burdensome process to ask for it back.
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Reach out to [email protected] if you have questions about the PAC refund process.