It’s no secret the actual concerns of their members take a back seat to leftist politics as far as government unions are concerned. SEIU 503 proved this rule in spades by endorsing the Green New Deal — the harebrained scheme by which many prominent Democrats propose to have government assume control over virtually every sector of the U.S. economy under the guise of saving the planet from climate change.

Among its many consequences, the Green New Deal would:

• drastically increase operating costs for business and agriculture;
• raise prices on every conceivable consumer good;
• embrace Socialist “basic income” programs;
• give more power to labor unions; and,
• eliminate air travel over time.

And that’s just the beginning. To put it mildly, the Green New Deal would have disastrous ramifications for our economy and society as a whole.

So why is one of Oregon’s largest government unions endorsing this program?

For starters, as highlighted by Ashley Varner, Freedom Foundation vice president of communications, the legislation would grow the size of government many times over.

And more employees mean more dues.

It would also prioritize unionization by ensuring, “…the right of all workers to organize, unionize and collectively bargain free of coercion, intimidation and harassment.”

All of which would certainly benefit union leadership, but how would the rank-and-file members be impacted? Unless they’re somehow exempted from the devastation the Green New Deal would wreak on the world’s economy, they’ll be in a world of hurt.

Recently the Oregon State Legislature proposed House Bill 2020,  which would impose “cap-and-trade” measures to reduce Oregon’s already infinitesimal carbon footprint.

Like the Green New Deal, House Bill 2020 is also masquerading as a climate change bill when in reality it would have been a massive job killer. Because of the bill’s potential consequences for the Beaver State’s economy, many Oregonians staunchly opposed it.

When compared to the Green New Deal though, House Bill 2020 appears incredibly tame.

Still, SEIU 503 moved forward with endorsing the Green New Deal despite the repercussions it would have on Oregon workers and families. The union’s board of directions unanimously voted on endorsing the climate change legislation.

SEIU 503’s defunct leadership only has itself to blame for the recent influx of defectors following the Janus decision, and decisions like this are conclusive proof.