May Sets New Record for Opt-Outs

Michael Ciccio
June 3, 2025

May was another record-breaking month for the Freedom Foundation’s outreach team. We helped 5,170 public employees exercise their constitutional right to cancel union dues, representing an estimated $4.9 million in lost dues revenue annually for government unions.

California and Colorado led the charge with record opt-outs of 2,558 and 589, respectively, while six additional states saw more than 100 opt-outs each.

This isn’t a fluke. It’s a trend.

What used to be record-setting numbers (4,000 opt-outs per month) is now business as usual. Year-to-date, the Freedom Foundation has already helped 20,876 public employees opt out of union membership and dues payments, outpacing every previous year at this point.

Such momentum is no accident. It’s the direct result of the Freedom Foundation’s winning message, ever-improving outreach methods, and relentless commitment to empowering public employees.

If the first five months are any indication, 2025 will be another record-setting year — and will bring many more updates like this one.

- Outreach
, California, Colorado, May

Michael Ciccio

National Director

Michael Ciccio serves as the National Director for the Freedom Foundation. Michael has over a decade of experience organizing activists and professionals, as well as coaching and advising on topics such as public speaking, organizing tactics, and media strategy. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 2008, Michael jumped right into the New Hampshire political sphere, working for various campaigns and within the New Hampshire State Senate. Most recently he served as the director of staff training at Americans for Prosperity, one of the nation’s premier grassroots organizations. During his 7 years at the organization, he focused on the continued expansion of grassroots capabilities.