Labor unions in New York are clearly feeling the heat, and it’s evident in their latest legislative move.
A2593, recently introduced in the New York State Assembly, would allow unions to make automated “robocalls” to public employees who’ve opted out of union membership. If the proposal sounds absurd, that’s because it’s a blatant attempt to preserve their fading influence by strongarming workers who have unequivocally expressed their wishes already.
The bill claims to protect New Yorkers’ privacy; in reality, it would accomplish the polar opposite by granting government unions one of the few legal exceptions to make robocalls in the state.
This is nothing more than a smoke and mirrors act masking a greedy power grab as a concern for privacy, all while trying to rope workers back into the unions’ fold.
Unions are supposed to represent the will of the workers. They claim to fight for the rights of employees, to ensure fair wages and benefits. But when workers exercise their right to cancel their union dues — a right confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Janus v. AFSCME — the unions’ true motives become crystal clear.
They don’t care about workers’ rights; they care about lining their pockets. Without dues-paying members, their control is eroding and their revenue streams are drying up. So rather than respecting workers’ decisions, they’re trying to coerce them to return with automated threats and lies.
This bill isn’t about improving workers’ lives or ensuring better contracts. It’s about unions grasping at straws.
They know they’re on the losing side of the battle for workers’ rights, especially since the Janus ruling affirmed in no uncertain terms that public employees can stop paying dues without losing their rights or benefits.
But instead of respecting that freedom, unions know their very survival depends on keeping their clammy hands clutched tightly to every dues dollar they can beg, borrow or steal.
While unions push for bills like A2593 to revive their fading control, the Freedom Foundation will continue to fight for the right of workers to make their own decisions. The truth is, government unions are flailing, trying to robocall their way back to power.
But here at the Freedom Foundation, we still believe in doing things the old-fashioned way — one call at a time, person-to-person, human-to-human. You can’t beat that kind of connection — no robocall can replace the power of a real conversation.
Unions might be able to dial for dollars, but they can’t fake genuine human interaction.
We remain committed to holding these bloated government unions accountable and ensuring that public employees are not manipulated or bullied into paying dues against their will. The power should remain with the people — not the union bosses.
