SEARCH
In the States, Opponents of Freedom to Form Unions Spread Disinformation |
|
 |
|
Powerful corporate interests who oppose the Employee Free Choice Act and workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain are carrying out a campaign in state legislatures, hoping to wrench public opinion in their direction and spread misinformation about the Employee Free Choice Act.
We’ve reported previously about the ”SOS Ballot,” a shady corporate front group, headed by anti-worker ex-congressman and Big Business crony Ernie Istook, which is attempting to maintain corporate dominance over workers’ ability to form a union. We noted that Istook and his non-disclosed donors were hoping to get anti-majority sign-up initiatives on the ballot in at least five states—Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, Nevada and Utah. They’ve expanded their reach, however, investing big dollars to push anti-worker ballot initiatives in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina and Washington as well.
In addition, corporate front groups are pushing their state legislators to pass resolutions urging Congress not to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. This effort was defeated in at least one state so far—in Wyoming, where a resolution was defeated in a committee vote before it even hit the state House floor.
A good analysis of who “SOS Ballot” is and what it’s up to appeared recently in the Washington Independent. David Weigel writes that there’s a “disagreement of strategy” between corporate funders who want to fight directly against the Employee Free Choice Act in the Senate and those who want to carry out a sneakier strategy in state legislatures.
Why all this frantic, if not particularly effective, activity at the state level? It isn’t about setting policy, it’s about poisoning the atmosphere with disinformation. Quoted in Weigel’s piece, Istook says that the goal is to influence the media and the public against the Employee Free Choice Act and “kill the idea” of making it easier for workers to form unions and bargain.
Fortunately, across the country, union members, the religious community, civil rights leaders and community organizations of all kinds are reaching out to educate the public about the need for the Employee Free Choice Act. That energy and mobilization will be needed to defeat the big-money corporate spin campaigns and protect workers’ freedom to bargain for a better life.
3 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Employee Free Choice Act: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb_LI2iHMnQ
The Union Busting Strategy Behind the EFCA EXPOSED!
Is the Strategy Behind the EFCA National Ads Created by Navigators Global on Behalf of The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace a SCAM?
By: Employee Free Choice Act Now .Org
First,Navigators Global changed the “face” of the campaign, making it a fight between union bosses and workers, and branded the private ballot as the symbol of the campaign.
Navigators Global’s elite team of federal lobbyists, political consultants and communications experts have built their careers advising Fortune 500 companies, elected officials, and trade associations and coalitions.
Below you will find a sampling of case studies showcasing Navigators Global’s Strategic Communications and Government Relations practices:
Coalition for a Democratic Workplace
Situation:
With heavy union support, Democrats had just taken control of Congress. Big Labor was eager to cash-in its political chits to pass card check legislation to eliminate the private ballot for union elections.
Navigators Global’s situational audit concluded several sobering facts: We would be significantly outspent. We would be significantly out-muscled at the grassroots level. The unions had the votes in Congress needed to win.
Strategy:
Navigators Global developed and managed a political campaign-style effort on behalf of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace.
The campaign identified key audiences, researched and developed the most effective messages, provided offensive and defensive tools, and was results-driven with quantifiable metrics for success.
Second, Navigators Global commissioned a poll to determine the correct messaging the campaign should adopt.
Finally, Navigators Global executed the campaign with print,television and radio ads and an all-inclusive Web site promoting the message of the campaign and serving as a one-stop shop of information. The effort resulted in the card check bill dying in the Senate.
In the year following the defeat of H.R. 800,Navigators Global launched an effort to put pressure on congressional and senatorial candidates who were sympathetic to card check.
Imagine FEAR and Intimidation Union Busting Tactics used Against senatorial candidates who were sympathetic to card check by Navigators Global on Behalf of The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace.
We recruited a nationally-known celebrity to star in educational TV ads and used humor to drive home our key messages about protecting worker privacy by saving the secret ballot.
One spot established the issue for swing voters and aired on national cable news networks during key primaries. The other ad was a contrast spot that distinguished each candidate’s position on card check, with the goal of increasing public awareness and motivating citizens to act.
Navigators Global also created a direct mail campaign and state-specific Internet microsites consistent with the message strategy and look and feel of the television spots.
Outcome:
The nation’s labor unions lost control of the message debate on card check. They wanted the fight to be a debate about the merits of joining a union.
Navigators Global made it a fight about secret ballots and worker privacy. H.R. 800 died in the Senate.
Because of the new television spot and its star character, (Johnny “Sack” Sacramoni, played by Vince Curatola from the HBO series ‘The Sopranos’)
Navigators Global made card-check a famous issue and establish CDW as the leading opposition voice on the issue. The ad continues to garner media attention for the coalition in publications from the Wall Street Journal to Politico, and it has established a heavy footprint in online and alternative media, including YouTube and national blogs.
Source: Navigators Global Website: Follow the Link to The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace
http://www.navigatorsllc.com/Clients/5/default.aspx
Navigators Global Client list also includes Walmart and Home Depot
For more information on Employer Intimidation and Union-Busting FEAR Tactics Press Below
http://efcanow.blogspot.com/2009/02/just-say-no-to-employee-free-choice-act.html
For More Information on EFCA please visit our websites and blog
http://www.employeefreechoiceactnow.org
http://efcanow.blogspot.com/
http://efcaunionbustingclub.blogspot.com/
http://www.FreeChoiceActNow.Org
http://www.LaborUnionResources.Org
Ya find the damndest things under them big rocks when the suns out-lets flip some more rocks