The Texas State Teachers Association promoted and organized participation in a series of nationwide “No Kings” protests—anti-Trump demonstrations led by progressive groups—through social media posts and direct outreach to its members.
In posts shared online, the state’s oldest teachers union urged teachers to “show up,” “speak out,” and “wear purple” on March 28, directing them to protests in their communities.
The messaging, tied to the National Education Association’s Women’s Caucus, promoted the demonstrations as part of a broader political movement opposing what organizers described as “authoritarian power grabs.”
For members in Austin, the union went further, inviting them to gather at its headquarters for a rally pre-party with signs, refreshments, and coordination before heading to a march from City Hall to Auditorium Shores.
The demonstrations themselves are explicitly political. Organizers of the “No Kings” movement describe it as a “nationwide uprising” against President Donald Trump, citing his policies on immigration enforcement, elections, and economic issues while accusing his administration of “chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
The union’s involvement drew pushback from some members and observers, who argued the organization was failing to represent educators and instead steer them towards partisan activism.
“This union represents teachers and staff—not just one political viewpoint,” one commenter wrote. “It should stand for all educators, not push political agendas.”
Another added, “No thanks… I don’t participate in foolish gatherings filled with hypocrites. But hey, TSTA, how about you focus on fulfilling your promises to teachers and actually spend time doing your job to better the lives of teachers, not idiotic rallies.”
While union membership is voluntary in Texas, many teachers have dues automatically deducted from their paychecks and sent directly to unions through government payroll systems—an arrangement critics have long described as taxpayer-supported collection.
Efforts to end that practice have repeatedly passed the Texas Senate but stalled in the House. The issue was a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott during a 2017 special session, though the House—then led by Speaker Joe Straus—declined to act.
In a recent interview with Luke Macias, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick again called for ending automatic dues collection, comparing the issue to taxpayer-funded lobbying.
“We pass that every session, over and over,” Patrick said, referring to legislation to prohibit government collection of union dues. “We should not allow unions to get their dues by taxpayer funding to help get those dues.”
Patrick argued that requiring unions to directly solicit members would significantly reduce participation, citing estimates that a large portion of members would opt out if forced to actively enroll.
The Republican Party of Texas platform echoes that position, calling for a ban on government collection of union dues and requiring unions to obtain member consent before using dues for political purposes.
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