Union busting continues!

The big corporations, politicians and wealthy interests that have rigged our economy and our politics against working people for decades haven’t stopped. They’ll keep doing whatever it takes to keep rigging the system in their favor – like the Koch-backed case Janus v. AFSCME that strikes at the freedom of people to come together in strong unions.

Now, these same forces have turned their attention to busting our local union. In our backyard the following union-busting tactics have already been reported:

• Philadelphia media featured Americans for Fair Treatment’s Free to Teach and upcoming Free to Serve opt-out campaigns targeting teachers and public employees in Pennsylvania.
• The Mackinac Center for Public Policy sent email blasts to teachers’ school email addresses in New York, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington State, advertising My Pay My Say. These emails are tailored to each state, with local “testimonials” and links to a fillable opt-out form that identifies local bargaining units; and
• Americans for Prosperity ran Facebook ads about the Janus decision to users in New Jersey. The ad buy appears to have cost less than $100 and may have been a continuation of an on-going digital paid media campaign.

Who’s behind all this union-busting?

The State Policy Network (SPN) is an umbrella organization of right-wing think tanks and ultra-conservative nonprofits that functions as a clearinghouse for public policy advocacy at the state level. SPN provides cover for legislations and court cases (like Janus v.  AFSCME) that hurt working people.

In Pennsylvania, it’s known as the Commonwealth Foundation of Public Policy Alternatives; and in New Jersey, the Garden State Initiative.

Websites like MyPayMySay.com, LeaveMyUnion.com, and OptOutToday.com are all about weakening our union by encouraging our members to drop their union membership. 

It’s time for us to stand up to union busters!  If you receive a solicitation from one of these organizations, it’s your moment to declare that “you’re sticking with your union” and reject their offer.  If a union-busting field agent shows up at your door or you receive a “cold call” from someone urging you to drop your membership tell them you stand with your co-workers and your patients, NOT with big-money interests.

When working people have the freedom to come together in strong unions, we have the power in numbers we need to negotiate a fair return on our work.

 We lift up our families, support quality patient care, make improvements on the job, and win the services our communities need to be safe and to prosper. And we use our collective voice to advocate for policies that benefit all working people – like increases to the minimum wage, affordable healthcare, and great public schools.