Blue States Open the Door for Public Sector Union Abuses, New Report Finds

Harrisburg, Pa., August 28, 2024 — New tax loopholes, predatory recruiting tactics, and relaxed campaign finance laws shift power away from workers and towards union officials, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Foundation.

The report, titled “The Battle for Worker Freedom: Grading State Public Sector Labor Laws,” provides a comprehensive review of labor legislation in all 50 states. Moreover, the fourth edition of this report complements the research with profiles for each state.

The report delves into the changes in this legislation over the past five years and gives each state a letter grade for worker friendliness and independence for a national labor report card. States like California and Maryland received an “F” on the Commonwealth Foundation’s report card after both adopted policies that provided tax loopholes designed to enrich labor political allies.

Yet, as the report shows, these union-friendly tactics emerged, in part, to make up for the nationwide losses in public sector union membership. The four largest public-sector unions lost more than 300,000 members since 2018 when the Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that government agencies could not force workers to pay union dues.

Some states are prioritizing worker independence in the wake of the landmark decision. Florida, for example, cracked down on union accountability loopholes and automatic paycheck deductions for union dues in 2023. As such, Florida earned an “A” on their 2024 labor report card, compared to a “C” previously.

“Protecting and empowering public employees—and safeguarding them from union overreach—is foundational to a strong public sector workplace and a more prosperous state,” said David R. Osborne, co-author of the report and Senior Labor Policy Fellow at the Commonwealth Foundation. “We applaud those states that have stepped up to defend the rights of their workers from public sector union abuses, and we urge every other state to do the same.”

Andrew Holman, Commonwealth Foundation policy analyst and report co-author, noted: “This report serves as a call to action for states across America to recognize the need for more worker freedom. With public sector union leadership seeking to consolidate power across the United States, legislatures must prioritize public employee rights over entrenched union interests.”

Read the full Commonwealth Foundation analysis here.

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The Commonwealth Foundation turns free-market ideas into public policies, fostering prosperity for all Pennsylvanians.