Unions’ Loss is Public Employees’ Gain: 300 Workers Save Big by Opting Out

Matthew Hayward
April 13, 2023

On April 10, because of our relentless outreach nationwide, the Freedom Foundation processed a whopping 300 opt-outs from public employees represented by 50 different unions in just one day.

You heard that right. It was a Monday, and a gusher of forms from union members came through our doors requesting unions cancel their membership and cease deductions.

These 300 individuals represent a diverse group of public employees from various sectors, including teachers, nurses, and law enforcement officers. They’ve decided to opt out for a variety of valid reasons, including disagreements with their union’s political agenda and general frustration feeling that the union is just ineffective.

By walking away, these public employees will save an average of $800 per year in union dues and fees, translating to $240,000 in yearly savings for all 300 combined.

This is a significant amount of money that can be used to support their families, pay bills or invest in their futures.

From the unions’ perspective, this is a disaster. Never again will they seize the dues and fees from these 300 public employees. Based on an average of $800 per year per opt-out, this equates to a loss of $240,000 per year in union revenue that can’t be used to influence ballot measures and elections or advance controversial social-political issues that have nothing to do with employee representation.

The Freedom Foundation is committed to providing information and resources to help workers make informed decisions about their union membership. We offer free legal aid and representation to workers who want to opt out of their union and have helped thousands of public employees across the country exercise their right to make that choice.

We are thrilled to see many workers taking advantage of their rights and opting out of union membership. This clearly indicates that more and more workers are becoming aware of the negative impact that union membership can have when it comes to their values and their bank accounts.

If you are a public employee interested in resigning your union membership, visit OptOutToday.com, and please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help and support you every step of the way.

Thank you for reading, and we look forward to bringing you more updates on labor and worker freedom issues in the future.

- Outreach
, April 10, Opting Out, OptOutToday.com

Matthew Hayward

National Outreach Director

Before joining the Freedom Foundation, Matthew worked as supervisor at the Washington State Department of Agriculture, where he coordinated efforts between federal and state agencies, tribes, and volunteer organizations in the Puget Sound. Grassroots politics has provided Matthew with many unique and sometimes controversial experiences. These experiences range from successfully building coalitions between different factions to training and organizing volunteers to maximize their effectiveness. Matthew’s passion for freedom to educate citizens about their Constitutional rights is strong and unwavering. “I not only measure success by results, bu t by the integrity of the action taken to achieve the result.” —Matthew H.