An Organization of Union Conservatives?

Terry Bowman had had enough. Sitting in his breakroom several years back, he saw an article in his union’s newsletter about “the healthcare policy that Jesus would’ve advocated.” A seminarian at the time, Terry knew his scripture pretty well, so the article caught his eye.

The article argued that Jesus would’ve supported Obamacare. Terry found the use of religion for partisan politics deeply offensive—especially when he was paying for it with his union dues. Terry knew he had to do something.

Terry Bowman would go on to start Union Conservatives, an organization “dedicated to bridging the gap between union workers and liberty, building an organization of like-minded voices, and strengthening unions through conservative principles.” Union Conservatives is a network of conservative union members across the nation who are pro-worker but are tired of union cultures that ignore the conservative perspective.

According to the group’s website, Union Conservatives’ mission includes “providing liberty to union members who have differing political views than their union leadership,” and “reshaping union policy to reflect the large numbers of conservative members.”

Ideally, a union is an organization that tirelessly represents the interests of all of its members. Unfortunately, many unions get involved in political causes that don’t directly benefit their members. Indeed, sometimes a union’s political activities are in conflict with the beliefs of a significant portion of its members. Groups like Union Conservatives are there to provide balance and bring together people who believe in both the free market and their union.