Currently, state and local governments, including school districts, use taxpayer-funded payroll systems and public employee time to collect union campaign contributions as well as union membership dues, a portion of which is used for political activity. Government unions spend dues money on a variety of political activities, including get-out-the-vote drives, election mailers in support of candidates, lobbying of legislators, TV and radio ads, and fundraising for political action committees.

Pennsylvania is one of 22 states ranking an abysmal “D” or “F” for the negative impact of their public sector labor laws on taxpayers and government workers, according to a first-of-its-kind 50-state public sector labor report produced by the Commonwealth Foundation. Thirteen states fared little better with a “C,” and just seven earned an “A+.”