Many of us have recently received emails at work and postcards at home from an outside organization advocating for us to drop out of the Union. The fact that you got spammed at your work email from a group you've never heard of probably tells you everything you need to know: their motives are shady and their claims are illegitimate.
Don’t be fooled. This is a dishonest and malicious campaign from a fraudulent organization based in Washington state that wants to tear down labor power.
This “Freedom Foundation” in Washington state is actually a front for a consortium of far-right anti-union, ultra-wealthy donors. This group wants to trick you into thinking that if you leave your Union, you’ll maintain all of the rights and benefits that your co-workers have fought for, all while saving “thousands of dollars.” They want you to think that benefits and raises, health and safety, and advocating for workplace policies can all happen on an individual basis.
The reality is that the Freedom Foundation openly brags about their goal of undercutting the labor movement so regular working people will have less power. They attack public sector jobs, living wage laws, paid sick leave, equal rights, climate change, and even funding for education. You should also be aware that some of their top funders have close ties to known hate groups.
The truth is that Union workers make, on average, 11.2% more than their non-union counterparts, and states with the lowest Union density also have the worst quality of life in the country.
Now more than ever, we need to stand in solidarity with each other, not only because we are in the midst of Contract negotiations, but because our workplace rights are under attack. Outside groups like this one are raising money and forming super-PACs to undermine unions so they can strip away every protection and benefit that workers have fought for, one by one. Members know Local 1036, we know our union co-workers, and we know what we stand for. We stand together.