Nathan Benefield: Government unions are outsized bullies holding workers, taxpayers hostage

As we enter election season, it’s time we address the elephant in the room.

It’s an elephant with an outsized influence on Pennsylvania politics — and few people realize who holds the purse strings and the puppet strings behind the scenes.

Government union executives.

These union executives enjoy a host of special privileges to maintain this influence — including the ability to pressure workers into joining a union and paying dues, and taxpayer collection of their political funds.

Since 2007, Pennsylvania government unions have spent $70 million in political action committee (PAC) expenditures and more than $96.5 million in membership dues on political activities and lobbying.

In Pennsylvania, the 2020 election cycle saw 91% of government union political donations going to Democrats. Both of Gov. Tom Wolf’s gubernatorial campaigns benefitted from more than $11 million. Already in the 2022 cycle, these same government unions have given 85% of their donations to Democrats, with over $2 million to Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s run for governor.

See a trend?

On top of these direct campaign contributions, Pennsylvania government union executives use workers’ dues to fund independent expenditures in support of candidates, lobbying expenses and a host of progressive organizations.

The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), the state’s largest government union, has spent more than $46 million in union dues on politics since 2007. The PSEA funds super PACs, including the State Engagement Fund and PA Fund for Change, which run independent ads attacking Republicans. Government unions also fund radical organizations, like Project 2043, that push critical race theory and Color for Change PAC, which pushes “defund the police” and supports district attorneys like Larry Krasner.

The web doesn’t end there. Government union executives have sent workers’ dues to the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, an organization led by Eric Holder that advocates for Democratic partisan gerrymandering, and Pennsylvania progressive groups like PA Spotlight, Keystone Research Center and Commonwealth Communications.

Private individuals have the right to make donations to political organizations they believe in.

But government unions executives don’t give workers a voice in what organizations or causes receive their dues. They don’t care whether an individual worker doesn’t want their money funding progressive causes. And when individuals stand up to government union executives and voice objections, executives shame the workers.

Cheri Gensel, a social studies teacher in the North Pocono School District, was a victim to union bullying. In November 2021, before the House Labor and Industry Committee, Gensel testified about her experience. When Gensel resigned from the PSEA after the union went on strike in 2013, union leadership responded by putting Gensel’s name on a “Board of Shame” in her school’s faculty room.

Another special privilege government union executives enjoy — Pennsylvania taxpayers pay for the collection of government union dues and even direct campaign contributions. Most have no idea that this even happens.

Under current law, Pennsylvania state and local governments — including school districts — use public payroll systems to deduct union dues and PAC contributions directly from workers’ paychecks and send this money to union executives.

No other entity enjoys this political privilege — in fact, in all other circumstances, it is illegal to use public resources for politics.

Why do government unions get an exception? Politicians that benefit from union campaign contributions become bound to look the other way when it comes to these privileges.

It’s past time our elected officials stood up to the government union executives that hold workers and taxpayers hostage. Lawmakers need to ensure fairness, protect worker rights, and decrease government unions’ immense influence on our commonwealth’s policies.

House Bill 2048 would prohibit the use of taxpayer resources to collect political contributions. It’s a step in the right direction that sets an initial barrier between taxpayers and government unions. HB 2042 would ensure all public sector employees unions inform their workers of their constitutional rights. Similarly, HB 2036 would allow public sector employees to resign union membership at any time, for any reason.

Pennsylvania needs public sector union reforms that force government unions to adhere to the same levels of accountability that voluntary organizations must follow. And taxpayers must tell these union executives and our lawmakers — we’re watching.

Nathan Benefield is senior vice president of the Commonwealth Foundation.