Freedom Foundation has released a video featuring California caregiver Chaquan May, who alleges that SEIU Local 2015 coerced her into union membership and ignored her repeated requests to opt out. This announcement was made through a press release.
The video highlights ongoing disputes over union enrollment and opt-out procedures within California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, where family caregivers can serve as paid providers. According to the Freedom Foundation, since the Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME (2018), which barred forced fees for public-sector workers, groups focused on worker choice have intensified outreach to caregivers reporting difficulties in leaving unions or stopping dues. Advocates argue that clear, accessible opt-out processes and informed consent are necessary protections for home-care providers navigating IHSS orientations and paperwork.
Earlier this year, the organization filed a class action lawsuit naming SEIU Local 2015 on behalf of IHSS workers, including May. The filing referenced at least a dozen IHSS providers as putative class members, indicating that the complaints extend beyond a single household and could affect additional caregivers statewide if certified.
SEIU Local 2015 describes itself as California’s largest union, with more than 450,000 long-term care worker members. According to SEIU Local 2015, this scale shapes the stakes of any dispute over enrollment or dues authorization: even small percentage shifts can involve tens of thousands of workers and significant sums that influence workplace policies and statewide politics important to right-of-center stakeholders.
IHSS is administered by the California Department of Social Services and currently lists over 500,000 enrolled providers. Understanding IHSS’s size helps explain why litigation and opt-out guidance draw sustained attention from groups focused on public-sector union accountability and First Amendment protections post-Janus.
Freedom Foundation is described as a free-market, right-leaning public policy organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Olympia, Washington. It pursues education, litigation, and advocacy related to public-sector unions with the aim of advancing individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited accountable government. The group operates nationally and frequently engages in cases concerning worker choice and union transparency.
