There’s plenty to criticize about Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address, as many have done. Yet, one of the strangest aspects of the governor’s speech is not what he said but rather what—or whom—he didn’t talk about. Though not referenced explicitly, government unions greatly influenced the governor’s recent budget address.
The word “union” appears just once in Shapiro’s prepared remarks, but only when mentioning “Union County,” the location for a new—ironically, non-union—pasta-manufacturing facility. Aside from one historical footnote about Pennsylvania’s role in the labor movement during the Industrial Revolution, unions were alive and kicking between the lines of Shapiro’s proposal.
Public sector unions stand behind every special interest group that benefits from Shapiro’s nearly $51.5 billion budget. Teachers, firefighters, police, corrections officers, state workers, transit workers, social workers, childcare workers, and home healthcare workers received substantial attention during the address.
Shapiro’s budget is chock-full of recklessly expensive union handouts. The proposal adds another $824 million to state support of public schools—to hit $17.7 billion—giving the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) exactly what it wants: $526 million for districts and $40 million for student-teacher stipends.
Meanwhile, more funding for in-home health care is the Service Employees International Union’s golden goose. Shapiro also promised $300 million for agencies like the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), where the Transport Workers Union Local 23 regularly threatens strikes. And, of course, the influx of new state employees Shapiro hired by lowering traditional standards helps increase membership dues for the 18 unions representing state workers.
These are Shapiro’s most powerful political allies. Like the governor and the rest of the Democratic Party, these unions want bigger government, more government services, and higher pay for public employees. Given the precarious balance of power in the state legislature, union lobbyists help Shapiro advance legislation in Harrisburg. Moreover, they aid in the dirty work to kill bills the governor doesn’t like so he doesn’t have to veto them.
So, why would Shapiro downplay his close relationships with those running government unions?
First, Shapiro is fully aware of the stink—and the appearance of impropriety—that comes with accepting millions in government union money. In 2022, he received more campaign donations from the country’s biggest government unions than any candidate nationwide. And it wasn’t close: The next three politicians on the list combined received less than Shapiro’s $4.5 million.
Unsurprisingly, Shapiro scratches the backs of those who scratch his. Last year, the governor agreed to a huge contract with executives from two of his biggest union donors. The contract negotiated by Shapiro included a record 20 percent increase in pay and benefits for state employees represented by the same unions who together contributed more than $2.75 million to his campaign. The Wall Street Journal labeled this move “Pennsylvania’s Big Government Union Payback.”
Shapiro also downplays his relationship with government union executives to avoid the conclusion that they—not Shapiro—call the shots in Harrisburg. But given Shapiro’s record and proposed budget, it’s difficult to conclude otherwise.
Shapiro’s biggest failure as governor resulted from unions pulling the strings. The governor couldn’t stand up to the PSEA, the state’s largest teacher union, and enact the Lifeline Scholarship Program. He received national accolades for supporting the popular school choice measure on the campaign trail, only to wilt under pressure and veto the measure when the teacher unions outflanked him politically. Shapiro’s flip-flop sent the state budget negotiations into a tailspin, resulting in a six-month impasse.
And the unions will never let the governor forget who’s in charge. Even though Shapiro’s support for school choice remains entirely hypothetical, union-funded organizations killed his chances of becoming Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate because of his previous stance.
Shapiro, who generally seems to have fooled the national press into thinking he’s a moderate Democrat, doesn’t want more bad press ahead of his likely presidential run. The governor is a clever politician who has learned not to say the quiet part out loud. Instead, he hides the unpleasant reality that he and his party are as beholden to government union executives. And together, they want to run up the bill in Harrisburg once again.
