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California’s political story never lacks drama, but a new analysis has lifted the curtain on who’s been pulling some of the strings. An investigative piece by Christopher F. Rufo and Kenneth Schrupp shows that ten large public‑sector unions in California took in more than $1 billion in dues and fees in the year ending in 2024. That number is an aggregate pulled from public LM‑2 and campaign filings, and it helps explain why Sacramento’s spending appetite keeps growing.
The new analysis: a billion‑dollar union machine
The authors collected union disclosure filings and tallied up dues, PAC receipts, transfers, and other revenue. SEIU‑United Healthcare Workers West and the California Teachers Association show up in the report as heavy hitters. SEIU‑UHW is even sponsoring a statewide ballot measure — the so‑called billionaire tax campaign — while drawing predictable revenue streams from member payroll deductions. The point is simple: the money is real, public, and concentrated.
How unions turn dues into political power
Payroll‑deducted union dues create steady cash. That cash pays for lobbying, ballot drives, transfers to political committees, and a larger public workforce that feeds the machine. Programs like In‑Home Supportive Services expand the pool of workers available for organizing. When unions can count on predictable revenue, they buy influence — and politicians, from Speaker Robert Rivas to Governor Gavin Newsom, generally welcome the results.
Why this matters for taxpayers and the state budget
All this spending happens while California faces fiscal strains: huge pension obligations and large program budgets. The unions’ drive for higher taxes and bigger budgets fuels a feedback loop — more spending means more jobs to organize, which means more dues, which means more political clout to press for still more spending. That dynamic shifts power away from ordinary taxpayers and toward the political class and union bosses.
Fixes and a plain‑spoken conclusion
If Californians want a fairer system, they should demand transparency and limits on how public payroll dollars are used for politics. Require clear, itemized public reporting of union political transfers. End automatic payroll deductions for political PACs without explicit, annual member opt‑in. Those are modest, common‑sense steps that respect both workers’ rights and taxpayers’ rights. California can keep its generous programs — but not if a billion‑dollar union machine keeps writing the rules from behind the curtain.
