(The Center Square) – Public policy think tank Freedom Foundation added some vacation flair with its recent attempt to publicize the Supreme Court landmark Janus v. AFSCME 2018 resolution ending compulsory union dues for public sector employees.
Staff and volunteers from the Olympia, Washington-based organization were disguised as Christmas elves – known as “Santa’s helpers” – and sent to locations on the east coast to spread the word that government employees could opt out of paying union dues.
The vacation-related mission ran from November 29th to December 7th. It included stints in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC – home of the headquarters of AFSCME, SEIU, AFL-CIO and the Teamsters – as well as Dover, Delaware; Trenton, New Jersey; Albany, New York; Montpelier, Vermont; Concord, New Hampshire; Providence, Rhode Island; Boston, Massachusetts; and Hartford, Connecticut.
Ashley Varner is Vice President of Communications and Federal Affairs for the Freedom Foundation and an East Coast Swing participant.
“[The] The first Santa Claus promotional tour on the east coast was definitely a success, ”she told The Center Square in an email. “We have had Santa advertising teams down the west coast for several years, but this is the first time people in many of the states we have visited on the east coast have ever met someone from the Freedom Foundation.”
The tour has achieved some milestones and practical results for an organization that has expanded to other states – Oregon, California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania – since its inception as the Evergreen Freedom Foundation in 1991.
“For the first time, Freedom Foundation literature has been welcomed into government buildings in Vermont, Connecticut and New Hampshire,” said Varner. “Every civil servant we spoke to in Vermont didn’t know they didn’t have to pay the unions off their paychecks and were happy to have a choice. On the other hand, every official we met in New Hampshire laughed when we asked if he was a union member and said he stopped paying his dues years ago! “
She added, “We received a warm welcome when we approached public officials in Boston and Providence, RI – unsuspecting government officials wanted to hear that they could keep more of their own money, especially if they weren’t happy with their union representation.” “
The tour could pay off in the long term too, she said.
“Since our visit, we’ve received opt-outs from some of the states we visited, particularly Maryland and New Jersey,” said Varner.
Varner reported that the spirit of the Christmas season reigned when he discovered that there was not a single hostile incident during the tour.
“Of course, it’s hard to be mean to any of Santa’s helpers before he visits your house,” she joked. “Several people wanted to be sure we had their names on the ‘good’ list! It was a fun week that spread good humor about freedom from the tyranny of government unions. “
The percentage of American workers unionized – both in the public and private sectors – has declined since 1983, when 20% of workers were unionized.
According to a US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), that number rose slightly between 2019 and 2020. Annual report January published. Total union membership rose to 10.8% in 2020, up 0.5% from 2019.
According to the BLS report, union rates in the public sector also increased from 33.6% to 34.8% over the same period.
Editor’s note: Brett Davis worked for the Freedom Foundation more than a decade ago.
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