New York state taxpayers' money won't be used to bankroll union-busting attorneys, consultants or other anti-labor contractors thanks to a bill approved by the state Legislature and signed into law this fall by Gov. George Pataki.

Dubbed the New York "neutrality law," the new statute is aimed at hospitals, nonprofits and other employers that receive state funding. The legislation moved through both houses of the New York state Assembly earlier this year, thanks in large measure to heavy support from organized labor across the state.

The law will guarantee that public funds will not be used to interfere with workers' constitutional right to join a union, explains Thomas Y. Hobart Jr., president of the New York State United Teachers and an AFT vice president.

"This new law will protect taxpayers by ensuring that state tax dollars are used for their intended purpose," Pataki said.

Under the neutrality law, which goes into effect in December, employers who receive state funds will be subject to audits of records to show the money was not used to pay for anti-union activities. It empowers the state attorney general to obtain restraining orders against such practices, and it allows the courts to order the return of taxpayer money used for such activities.

New York state AFL-CIO president Denis Hughes says, "This historic legislation not only protects the rights and interests of working men and women, but all New Yorkers."  [Barbara McKenna / AFT On Campus]

[December 26, 2002]