By Charlie Copeland, Director

Center for Analysis of Delaware's Economy & Government Spending

June 9, 2023

"All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining,

as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. 

 

It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. 

 

The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials

to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee [unions]."

 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) August 16, 1937

 

 

State Senator Nicole Poore, ignoring FDR, wants taxpayers to pay the union dues for government employees and other unions. Her bill (Senate Bill 72) states that a union member shall receive a tax deduction of up to $500 to offset their union dues.

 

It has been long argued by union supporters that union membership brings benefits to employees who are members of a union and to the employer. This argument might have some validity when referring to private sector union membership, but as FDR wrote over 85 years ago, government unions make no sense.

 

Despite FDR, Delaware has three government unions: SEIU (Service Employees International Union), AFSCME (American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees), and  DSEA (Delaware State Education Association). The bosses of these unions are now putting pressure on members of the General Assembly to have taxpayers (aka, YOU) pay union dues for government employees.

 

 

Take Action and Stop SB 72

 

This bill should be stopped. The following names are all Sponsors & Co-Sponsors of this awful bill:

 

Sponsor(s):

Senate: Jack Walsh
House: Valerie Longhurst, Kim Williams

 

Co-Sponsor(s):

Senate: Kyle Evans Gay, Tizzie Lockman, Spiros Mantzavinos, Sarah McBride, Laura Sturgeon, Bryan Townsend 
House: Sean Lynn, Eric Morrison

 

 

Delaware Union Membership has Dropped

 

What are union membership trends in Delaware? According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, union membership in Delaware dropped 1.2% between 2021 and 2022 from 9.7% to 8.5% and is now at its lowest level in decades (See Chart 1.0 below). Employees and employers are clearly opting out of unions except for the three government unions, which as FDR pointed out, are incompatible with good government.

 

As mentioned previously, union supporters have long argued that unions bring benefits to employees and employers. If this were true, union membership would be growing and thriving as firms with union members would outcompete merit-based firms. 

 

CHART 1.0

 

 

(Data Source: 2021 Barry T. Hirsch - Trinity University, David A. Macpherson - Florida State University, and Wayne G. Vroman

- The Urban Institute plus current data from bls.gov)