Every Fourth of July, Americans celebrate the ideals that founded this country — national sovereignty, individual liberty, self-determination and the right to make our own choices.
At the Freedom Foundation, we see those principles in action every day.
June was a record-breaking month for the organization, as 6,827 public employees exercised their rights and opted out of their unions. It was the largest monthly total in our history and a powerful reminder that when workers are informed of their rights, they choose freedom.
In fact, it seems every month brings a new milestone. So far this year, more than 34,000 workers have opted out of their unions, removing more than $32 million from union coffers and returning power to individual employees.
The American experiment has always been rooted in the idea that freedom belongs to the individual. Our nation was founded on the belief that people should be free to govern themselves, free to speak their minds and free to decide which organizations deserve their support.
Workers increasingly recognize that unions no longer represent the values and priorities of employees — assuming they ever did. Instead, Big Labor promotes a political agenda that reflects neither the American dream nor the aspirations of many of its members.
This Independence Day, we celebrate more than our nation’s founding. We celebrate all the workers who have chosen to exercise their freedom by opting out.
We’re honored to help these workers reclaim their rights and pursue their own version of the American dream because the hope of America has always rested on a simple idea — free people making free choices.
