The 30-Year Hangover: Union Bosses Want Permanent Hires for Temporary Work
When a state gets hit with a wave of new work, whether it's a federal mandate or a hurricane, public sector union bosses always have the same answer: hire more permanent government workers. Every new hire is another dues-paying member, and taxpayers keep covering the cost long after the work is done.
Bringing on a government employee isn't a short-term expense. It's a commitment that runs for decades, through salary, health care and a pension.
$8.85 is what state and local governments spend on retirement for every hour an employee works, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Private employers spend $1.57.
$1.13 Trillion is how far short state and local pension plans across the country are of what they have promised retirees, according to the Equable Institute.
States are racing to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which requires them to start Medicaid work requirements by January 1, 2027 unless the federal government grants a delay. Many states are already short on staff. Pennsylvania reported nearly 400 open jobs in county human services offices this spring. Missouri has about 1,000 fewer front-line workers than it did ten years ago, even though Medicaid and SNAP enrollment has more than doubled.
This is a short-term crunch with a hard deadline. The smart move is help that can ramp up quickly and wind down when the job is finished. Locking in another generation of payroll is the opposite of that.
Not shockingly, union bosses see it differently. In New York, the Public Employees Federation (PEF) wants Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill that would keep the state from bringing in outside help during a hiring freeze, specifically complaining about the state "hiring non-unionized workers.” This just means that state employees will face higher caseloads and less help. Those needing benefits will pay the price of delayed eligibility verification, but union bosses don’t care, as long as no one gets paid until they do.
Medicaid work requirements are a deadline problem, they shouldn't become a 30-year payroll problem. States need people who can start fast and go home when the work is done. PEF and unions like them want to turn every crunch into a membership drive, and taxpayers end up paying for it for decades. Gov. Hochul should veto the bill and keep New York free to bring in help when it's needed. Every other governor facing the 2027 deadline should do the same.