You can’t put a price tag on union protections.
A fake check in the mail claiming you could pocket $900. A letter from Santa offering a similar financial boon. But there’s a catch: You have to drop your union membership.
The Freedom Foundation and other anti-worker groups funded by billionaires and greedy corporations are lying to working people to get them to walk away from their unions.
Don’t get scammed. Ask yourself why these groups so desperately want you to give up your union protections. The Freedom Foundation is by and for the ultra-wealthy, and unions are by and for everyday workers.
Know the Facts
Who is the Freedom Foundation?
The Freedom Foundation masquerades as an organization fighting for workers, but behind the scenes extreme anti-worker billionaires like Charles Koch funnels money into their efforts to undermine worker protections to boost corporate profits and their personal wealth.
What’s their goal?
Ultimately, they want to end your right to collectively bargain. Until they can reach that final goal, they put a lot of energy into duping members to opt-out of their unions, thereby weakening our resources to fight back against attacks on your rights.
Why did I get a mailer from them?
We can’t be sure how they got your information, but they’ve been known to make Freedom of Information Act requests to employers of public sector workers. If you’ve been contacted with anti-union propaganda, report it to service@hgea.org or call us at (808) 543-0000. We can keep record of this and see if there are similar targets against other departments.
Is the check they sent me real?
No. And the savings they cite on their fake check is wildly misleading. The union uses member dues to protect your job, fight for better pay and benefits, negotiate contracts, and defend your rights. You can’t put a price tag on having someone at the negotiation table who has your back against self-interested employers.
Isn’t it true unions have to represent me, even if I’m not a member?
Reasoning like this is what the foundation capitalizes on. We’re funded by member dues. If everyone stopped paying dues, the union would cease to exist. That’s their end game.
Employers rarely, if ever, will offer better compensation or job protections outright. That’s why being a part of a strong union is so important.
What can I do to fight back?
The best way you can help is by notifying a union agent and making the decision to stay union strong against the foundation’s shady tactics. Also, alert your coworkers about this organization’s ultimate mission to end union protections for workers.
Did you receive an anti-union mailer? Contact the HGEA Member Service Center at (808) 543-0000 or service@hgea.org.