NEA Helps Utah Educators Get a Referendum on the 2026 Ballot
The Utah state legislature recently passed a law banning collective bargaining for all public workers—including
educators—stripping them of the right to negotiate over wages, benefits, and working conditions. In response, the Utah Education Association and the Utah School Employees Association mobilized as part of the Protect Utah Workers Coalition.
In just 30 days, the coalition led the most successful signature-gathering effort in Utah’s history to qualify a referendum for the 2026 general election.
Huge Win! NEA Defends Inclusive Education
NEA and its partners sued the Trump administration over efforts to squash inclusive education. In a huge victory, in April, a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the policy while the court case is ongoing. The ruling’s impact included:
- Halting enforcement of the Department of Education’s (ED) Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter, which threatened to cut federal funding from schools supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
- Blocking the April 3 deadline for schools to sign the letter.
- Prohibiting use of the “End DEI” portal—where people could report DEI teachings— in any school that has at least one NEA member. This victory signals that ED’s actions likely exceeded its authority.
NEA Challenges Collective Bargaining Bans
The Federal Education Association, an NEA affiliate, filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order banning collective bargaining for federal workers, including educators on military bases. The suit argues the order violates the First and Fifth amendments and is an abuse of power.
NEA President Becky Pringle affirmed the union’s strong support, stating that silencing educators harms students and democracy. “We’re not going to sit by silently,” Pringle says.
NEA Grant Boosts Leadership in Arizona
With support from an NEA Great Public Schools Fund Grant (nea.org/GPSFund), the Arizona Education
Association (AEA) is expanding leadership development opportunities. By strengthening its union, AEA is advancing racial and social justice, retaining educators, and creating inclusive schools for all students. The grant funding will go toward:
- Providing resources and trainings in Spanish that will empower bilingual members to get more involved in the union.
- Offering coaching to affinity groups—formed around a shared interest or common goal—to support diverse voices.
- Training leaders to facilitate tough conversations about race, including topics such as decolonization, dismantling and disrupting racism, and educational inequities.
- Building safe spaces where all educators feel a sense of belonging.
