The birthplace of American independence was once hailed as the “City of Brotherly Love,” but in recent years Philadelphia has witnessed a shameful decline — led by reckless and, candidly, radical politicians.

And all of it funded by big labor unions.

In 2021, unions like AFSCME 33 and AFSCME 47 — the city’s two largest bargaining units, respectively — helped catapult District Attorney Larry Krasner to re-election. The unions dumped tens of thousands of dollars into his political coffers, money taken from their members’ paychecks in the form of dues.

How did Krasner earn the support of union bosses? It certainly wasn’t with his record of keeping the residents of Philadelphia safe.

In 2021 alone, Philly saw 559 homicides and 4,197acts of gun-violence. These were the highest numbers the public has had to deal with in decades.

Violent crime of all kinds saw a steep increase across the board; from carjackings to assaults, robbery and sexual attacks, the city was plagued by crime.

All the while Larry Krasner handcuffed law enforcement and turned a blind eye to the deplorable conditions of Philadelphia. 

Union bosses decided political clout was more important than the safety of its members and their families.

The Freedom Foundation’s Pennsylvania outreach team has begun a campaign to Philadelphia union members highlighting the shocking silence of their unions as they spend their hard-earned money on out-of-control politicians and their disastrous policies.

In the first week of this campaign, we have seen nearly 100 Philadelphia union members stand up to their union leadership and demand more as they sent in their resignation letters.

These unions don’t deserve their members’ dues if the money is going to spent on politicians who care more about currying favor with special interests than the lives and property of the voters whose welfare they are sworn to protect.