In case you haven’t heard, unions are on the outs. Since they can’t force people to join their ranks in 27 states, and since the Supreme Court ruled they can no longer compel nonmembers to pay dues, participation has fallen to an all-time low.
Never one to take no for an answer, though, unions have turned to their old buddies in the Democratic National Committee for an assist. And boy, do the Democrats jump when the unions say jump!
In a recent private call, union leaders told the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm not to expect assistance in future elections unless they rally behind passing the freelance job-killing PRO Act. Reportedly, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades was among the groups on the call, and Politico sources say the union made it clear to current Democratic holdouts, namely Sens. Mark Kelly, Kyrsten Sinema, and Mark Warner, that they will not give money to lawmakers who are not in favor of the bill.
“We’ve been vocal and telling everyone that,” a source said. “No money, no support of PRO.”
For decades, organized labor has been one of the top financial backers of the DNC. Unions gave a whopping $27.5 million to the Biden/Harris 2020 campaign and other supportive groups. In response, Democrats have been applying heavy pressure on the remaining Senate no votes. Union activists posted outside Warner’s home for weeks, steadily delivering cakes with pro-PRO Act messages made by union bakers.
The Democratic senator from Virginia has wisely held out. “The notion of long-term permanent work is fundamentally changing,” Warner said. “My fear is that parts of the PRO Act try to fit all work into kind of a 20th-century, classic W-2 employment status.”
His assessment of the legislation is spot on, and one need look no further than recently failed legislation in California for proof. California passed AB 5 last year, a piece of legislation very similar to the PRO Act. It immediately pushed thousands of independent contractors out of work as their employment arrangements suddenly became illegal. The bill’s effects were so terrible that voters quickly rallied behind Proposition 22 to slice it up, which passed overwhelmingly.
But unions did not listen to the will of the people then, either. They attempted to sue and overturn the vote. It didn’t work. Now, they’re onto bigger and better things, like trying to push similar legislation on the whole country. Ultimately, the PRO Act could affect nearly 60 million freelance workers.
Most of these people, notably, do not want the PRO Act. Workers seek out independent contracting as an escape from full-time employment and antiquated nine-to-five desk jobs. Workers now have more choice and freedom in their employment than ever before. The average employee in his or her prime moves on every three years, and many have sought out non-traditional employment structures. These new forms of work give individuals a higher quality of life, better work-life balance, flexible schedules, the opportunity to earn far more money, the ability to gain experience without paying for expensive and often worthless college degrees, and the opportunity to try different kinds of work.
The PRO Act is a solution to a nonexisting problem, a nonexisting problem for everyone but unions and the Democrats they finance, that is. Unions are currently unable to get their hands on the dollars being earned by independent contractors. In the 23 states without “right-to-work” laws, unions can force people into membership — but independent contractors are a loophole in that scheme.
Furthermore, the PRO Act seeks to overturn “right-to-work” laws in the 27 states that have made it illegal to coerce employees into union membership. Unions have realized that without force, most people are opting out of their organizations, so they’re resorting to their old playbook of using the government to bully workers instead of adjusting their behavior to attract workers back.
Unions have behaved like bullies throughout their history, and Democrats have often been weak throughout their past. It’s no surprise unions are now pressuring the DNC, and it’s equally unsurprising that the Democratic leadership is giving in to their whims.
Even, that is, when it will harm their own constituents.
Hannah Cox is the content manager and brand ambassador for the Foundation for Economic Education. She is the host of the podcast BASED and a contributor to the Washington Examiner.
