For New York’s public-sector unions, 2023 will be a year to forget. But for the thousands of government employees they claim to represent, it was a watershed moment. For perhaps the first time in history, the tantalizing prospect of keeping their entire paycheck instead of sharing too large a portion of it with union moguls and the corrupt politicians they bankroll with someone else’s money became real.
And the Freedom Foundation was at the heart of it. The organization’s ever-expanding influence and unrivaled understanding of members’ rights put the leaders of numerous unions on notice, most notably the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) and the Public Employees Federation (PEF).
This was the year New Yorkers, in record numbers, chose to redefine their relationship with their unions.
A staggering 46 percent of all union dues cancelations in New York came from CSEA alone, as its members voiced deep dissatisfaction, a sentiment echoing through the corridors of workplaces across the state.
PEF’s narrative was painted with similar strokes, as its members made up 20 percent of New Yorkers who quit their public-sector union in 2023. President Wayne Spence’s recent acknowledgment of members’ questions about leaving the union is not just a ripple but a wave, signifying a rising tide against the union’s once unchallenged value proposition.
In response to the groundswell of public employees reevaluating their union memberships, both CSEA and PEF have recently launched campaigns to counter the narratives encouraging this newfound introspection.
CSEA’s ironically titled “Fight Back with the Truth” campaign directs its members to “do their own research” with content conveniently created by the union itself, while it also attempts to scare its members away from exploring their First Amendment rights. Meanwhile, PEF has begun engaging members directly at Empire State Plaza every Wednesday about the dangers of leaving the union, just to make sure no one gets any self-empowering ideas about canceling their dues.
The Freedom Foundation, at the heart of this shift, has played a crucial role in illuminating the rights and options available to union members. Our educational approach has empowered many to align their union affiliations with their personal values and financial interests, turning every opt-out into a statement of liberty and a repudiation of fearmongering.
As 2024 dawns, the landscape of union membership in New York is not just evolving — it’s being redefined. The increasing number of New Yorkers leaving their unions, particularly from CSEA, signals a burgeoning movement toward individual choice and freedom in labor representation.
The cat is out of the bag in the Empire State and even as big government unions desperately try to maintain power, we have no doubt that more New Yorkers will leave their unions in 2024 than ever before.
