OLYMPIA, Wash. – Santa Claus has been visiting state workers this week to tell them how they can sever ties from the naughty public employees’ unions and give themselves a present worth several hundred dollars in the bargain.
The Freedom Foundation has hired its own Santa stand-in to greet government employees as they enter and exit their offices in Washington and Oregon this Christmas season and distribute “Give Yourself a Raise” packets.
Included in the hand-outs is a letter explaining that employees have the right under a series of U.S. Supreme Court cases to opt out of union membership and, instead of full dues, pay a smaller fee to compensate the union for its collective bargaining costs. In doing so, the forcibly unionized workers will not only be putting more of their own money back in their pockets, but they’ll be reducing the amount of the money the union contributes to political causes and candidates the “member” may not agree with.
The Freedom Foundation Santa showed up on Monday to deliver that message in the cafeteria of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, where he connected with dozens of amused employees.
The Freedom Foundation Santa Claus greets state workers at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
“Lots of them told us they’d be interested in opting out, but no one had ever told them how to do it before,” said Matt Hayward, coordinator of the Freedom Foundation’s “Give Yourself a Raise” program. “Of course they couldn’t show much enthusiasm for the idea while we were here, because they’re afraid the union will retaliate against anyone who stops to talk with us. But they took the opt-out forms, and you can bet a lot of them will turn them in.”
The packets include a sample “opt-out” letter the worker can send informing the union of their decision and a Frequently Asked Questions section reassuring those who opt out that the union cannot retaliate against them for exercising their legal rights.
Hayward said a union official on Monday confronted the Freedom Foundation Santa in the DNR cafeteria and demanded he remove his beard so he could be photographed for the union’s records.
Santa declined.
Plenty of state employees stopped by to visit with the Freedom Foundation Santa and hear his message about why they should opt out of the public employees union and give themselves the gift of a larger paycheck.
Santa will be making more announced visits to state offices until Christmas. For a schedule of his planned appearances, contact the Freedom Foundation at (360) 956-3482.
“It’s a documented fact here in Washington and in other states with right-to-work laws that when workers realize they don’t have to be in a union anymore, they leave in droves,” said Matt Hayward, coordinator of the Freedom Foundation’s “Give Yourself a Raise” program. “That’s why the unions are working so hard – and spending so much of their own members’ money – to keep them from knowing about this opportunity.”
With Santa’s help, thousands of state workers will be ho-ho-ho’ing this Christmas season.
