Freedom Foundation Sues New York to Block Union Law

The Freedom Foundation, a national worker-rights group, is filing a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York to block Section 216, a new state law signed by Governor Kathy Hochul on September 9. The legislation prohibits communications that falsely appear to be authorized by a union and empowers Attorney General Letitia James to investigate and block deceptive communications.

The group argues the law is an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech designed to silence campaigns that encourage public employees to cancel their union memberships. Due to the threat of fines reaching $1,000 per violation, the organization has already halted its outreach efforts within the state.

Governor Hochul's office and bill sponsor Assemblymember Judy Griffin maintain the law protects workers from fraud and misinformation. Mario Cilento, president of the New York State AFL-CIO, praised the measure for holding fraudulent actors accountable.