In July and August alone, 610 Ohio public employees made the bold choice to walk away from union control — reclaiming their paychecks, their rights and their freedom.
And this isn’t just a trend. It’s a tidal wave.
What’s even more striking? More than 440 of those opt-outs came from employees tied to the Ohio Education Association (OEA) and the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE) — unions long reliant on confusing fine print and arbitrary “opt-out windows” to keep members trapped.
For years, unions like OEA and OAPSE have depended on a single strategy — make it as hard as possible for workers to say no. Short deadlines, buried forms and bureaucratic red tape were all designed to frustrate employees exercising their First Amendment rights.
But this summer, Ohio’s public school employees saw through the game — and opted out anyway.
What makes these numbers so impressive is the strategic outreach employed by the Freedom Foundation. Through a coordinated campaign including mailers, emails, digital ads and canvassing, we reached employees across the state, sending more than 200,000 pieces of content to Ohio public-sector employees in just two months.
Our work made it possible for public employees to navigate confusing opt-out rules and reclaim control over their paychecks.
The numbers speak for themselves:
- 610 public employees opted out in just 62 days.
- More than 440 of those were school employees navigating restrictive opt-out rules.
- That’s hundreds of thousands of dollars no longer funding political agendas workers never asked for.
These are real people — bus drivers, teachers, secretaries, custodians and more — tired of being told how to think, vote and spend their own paychecks.
And the movement isn’t slowing down. It’s accelerating.
Each opt-out is more than a financial decision. It’s a worker choosing freedom over fear.
A stand against institutions that prioritize power and politics over the people they claim to represent.
At the Freedom Foundation, we’re proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with every Ohioan taking that step. Our outreach works — and it’s helping thousands of public employees take control of their paychecks and their voices.
Don’t wait. If your union isn’t working for you, you have the right to leave.
You have the power to take back your voice and your hard-earned dollars.
