Published on December 13, 2023, 1:07 am

In a real news update from the trusted news sphere, it’s been revealed that the four most prominent public sector unions invested almost $700 million in supporting Democrats and progressive causes during the 2022 elections. A significant part of this donation, comprised of roughly 60%, came from union dues as per an analysis conducted by the Commonwealth Foundation.

These hefty political contributions were made by the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, and the Service Employees International Union. Out of this massive $708.8 million investment into politics during the 2022 midterm elections, approximately 96% was funneled towards Democratic political action committees or other causes with a leftist agenda.

These four unions’ combined spending surpassed what even established sectors like defense, transportation, and construction put forth. Most progressive organizations you can think of probably received funding from public sector unions according to Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow for Labor Policy David Osborne.

From a Christian worldview perspective that values transparency and accountability, it should be worth noting how some union members may not be fully aware of where their dues are going. Large chunks are finding their way into various political projects endorsed by union leaders which breeds questions about representation.

The underbelly truth is that these membership fees are being used for much more than just representation – they’re fueling politics. Unfortunately, unions do not necessarily disclose these details to their members who often remain unaware of such practices.

Based on the report released by The Commonwealth Foundation around 57% of total money spent on politics by these unions was sourced from union dues. The rest was contributed by state and federal Political Action Committees (PACs).employees discovering that their hard-earned wages are financing certain political movements certainly has value attached to it as well.

Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor emerged as one of the top beneficiaries taking home approximately $4.54 million from PACefforts during his campaign for office. Shockingly, this amount was thrice more than any other sum yielded to an individual campaign.

Post-election, Shapiro negotiated with members from the SEIU and AFSCME securing increased pay and benefits for union members. Other significant beneficiaries at the state level included California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and failed Texas gubernatorial as well as a 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke.

Leanings towards the Democrats were crystal clear at the federal level as well, where union political action committees substantially supported personalities like Senator Raphael Warnock, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries amongst several others.

The ties between these unions and President Joe Biden’s administration were also pointed out given Biden’s self-declaration of being the most “pro-union” president ever. The strong connection was brought to light when it was revealed that major players from public sector unions conversed directly with former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky regarding school reopening policies amidst a global pandemic – a subject far removed from labor issues.

Incongruently enough, progressive PACs and left-leaning organizations also saw substantial portions of union spending going their way. For instance, the SEIU Political Education and Action Fund raked in nearly $30 million – funds used mostly to support Democratic candidates for federal office.

The distribution of union political spending seemed skewed in favor of Democrats across all states except Alabama, Mississippi, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Illinois topped charts here with $27.9 million followed by California ($24.9 Million), Minnesota ($13.2 Million), Pennsylvania ($12.1 Million), and Washington ($7.5 Million) respectively.

The massive financial resources provided by member contributions have been geared towards maintaining existing legal structures that continue favoring these four largest government-led unions according to The Commonwealth Foundation’s report findings.

Ironically though,the highlighted pattern indicates an unfortunate reality that sees politicians at the local, state, and federal level being more invested in fulfilling the agenda of union leaders over taxpayers or even union members themselves.