Freedom Foundation accuses New York law of trying to trap workers in unions  

New York has passed a new pro-union law that opponents argue will stifle workers’ constitutional rights.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Assembly Bill 10835-A on Sept. 9, outlawing “falsely impersonating an employee organization or employee organization representative.”

However, the Freedom Foundation, a workers’ rights advocacy group, calls the bill a “hit job” designed to protect government unions instead of employees.

“[A10835A] exists because government unions in New York are terrified of an inconvenient fact: when public employees learn they don’t have to pay union dues, a lot of them stop,” said Freedom Foundation CEO Aaron Withe.

“So instead of making their case to their own members, union bosses ran to their friends in the Legislature and got them to write a law that makes speech illegal.”

According to the group’s previous reporting, New York has been experiencing record numbers of union workers opting out since 2025.

The same trend is true nationwide.

In 1983, 20% of U.S. workers belonged to a union. By 2024, that number had fallen to just 10%.

Other states are implementing strong pro-worker policies, such as preventing unions from withdrawing money directly from paychecks.

When Arkansas instituted paycheck protection for teachers, the state teachers’ union dues declined 36%. Florida passed similar legislation and saw a 15% decline.

Nevertheless, some legislators appear more interested in protecting unions than employees.

A10835A’s co-sponsor Sen. Jessica Ramos, D-Queens, claimed “bad actors deliberately confuse workers, interfere with lawful union activity and undermine the integrity of collective representation.”

Assemblymember Judy Griffin, D-Nassau County, added: “As the prime sponsor of this bill, I am proud to close a gap in the law and protect workers from those who would knowingly impersonate unions or union representatives to spread misinformation, undermine trust or interfere with lawful union activity. Unions play a vital role in protecting and advocating for public employees.”

Last year, Oregon passed a nearly identical law and was promptly sued by the Freedom Foundation. The legal battle continues.

Withe said he’s gearing up for a similar fight.

“We didn’t back down in Oregon,” he concluded, “and we’re not backing down in New York.”