Excess Union Power Costs Families, Students
Excess Union Power Costs Families, Students
(Washington, D.C.) – According to a Capital Research Center review of three recent studies, the cost of forced unionization amounts to more than $13,000 per family in states that feature such rules. These laws tend to depress job growth in unionized industries – leaving more workers competing for jobs in non-unionized sectors, thereby reducing wages. They also tend to raise the costs of government services, as government workers enjoy more generous pension and benefits than those in the private sector. Excessive union power can also have negative effects on public policy. One notable case is occurring in Florida, where a government employee union is attempting to roll back the expansion of a privately-funded scholarship program that overall benefits nearly 70,000 of Florida's low-income students, the majority of whom are Hispanic.
Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative released the following statement:
"Private sector unions have historically played an important role in advancing the interests and rights of workers. But when union leaders use their influence to advance their own interests at an excessive cost to other workers and to taxpayers, that influence should be curtailed. Latinos are working too hard, and families have too much economic pressure, to have no say in whether their paychecks should be reduced by thousands of dollars every year to enrich a favored class of workers. States must ensure that unions do not have excess power, whether through forced membership or other means, which they use against the public interest."
For interviews with a LIBRE representative, please contact: Brian Faughnan, 703-678-4581 or Steven Cruz, 202-578-6173
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