Over the past several years, one thing has become increasingly clear: Public sector unions are not just workplace representatives; they’re powerful political actors with influence that extends across ballot initiatives, elected officials, nonprofit organizations and super PACs. 

That influence is funded directly through automatic payroll deductions from government employees across Washington state. 

Many continue paying union dues without fully examining where that money goes. Each deduction contributes to a broader political system that shapes public policy, taxation, and the size of government.

In many cases, workers are unknowingly funding efforts they may not fully support or even be aware of. 

There are three key realities driving this issue:

• public sector unions operate as major political organizations;

• workers often fund this system without full transparency or understanding;

• and, the most effective way to push back is by reducing the financial resources that sustain it. 

The scale of this influence becomes clear when looking at the numbers. 

The Washington Education Association represents about 95,000 school employees. In 2023 alone, it collected $52.9 million and spent $1.2 million on politics through its PAC.

The Washington Federation of State Employees represents roughly 50,000 public employees and, in 2025, collected $32.1 million, with $1.4 million going toward politics and social causes. 

For WFSE members, another breakdown is especially striking. Average dues now exceed $1000 per year, yet only $261 per member is spent on representational activities.

The rest supports broader union operations, including political-social advocacy. 

These organizations are deeply involved in political action committees, ballot initiatives and legislation, including support for policies like the capital gains tax and the millionaires tax. 

This creates a cycle. Public employees pay dues. Those dues fund political activity. That activity supports policies that expand government and taxation.

As government grows, unions grow, increasing their influence and revenue. The cycle then repeats. 

Breaking that cycle starts with individual decisions. 

In 2025, WFSE tipped the scales at more than 1,400 members canceling their dues thanks to the direct effort of the Foundation’s Outreach efforts.

Do the math and WFSE saw a $1.4 million reduction in annual dues revenue. 

That loss nearly matched what the union reported spent on political activity during the same period. And unlike a one-time expense, those losses compound year after year. 

Momentum is building. With expanded digital outreach, opt-out rates in Washington are now averaging more than 600 per month and are projected to reach a record 7,500 this year. 

That represents nearly $7.5 million less flowing to Washington’s largest government unions.

At its core, this shift is driven by individual choice. Each worker who decides to stop paying union dues keeps more of their paycheck and takes control over how their money is used. 

One Washington worker framed it nicely, “I like keeping my money in my pocket. Thanks for what you do and giving us our options.”