EFCA Ad War Heats Up: SEIU Responds To Chamber's Latest

The SEIU has just put up a response advertisement to the Chamber of Commerce's own $1 million ad campaign, accusing the Chamber of using stale and false political accusations against the Employee Free Choice Act.

The spot, which will run on the web, points out that the Chamber's main critiques of the labor-backed legislation - including dire warnings about bureaucrats from Washington - seem recycled from those it used to fight the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1989 and the Family Medical Leave Act in 1991. The underlying message is that the Chamber was drastically on the wrong side of history in those two fights, and remains so now.

On a meta-level the escalation of the ad wars really hits to a new stage in the broader debate on the Employee Free Choice Act. From a union perspective, the stakes have gone up in the past few weeks as Sens. Arlen Specter, R-PA, and Blanche Lincoln, D-AR - two key votes - both said they would opposed cloture. On Monday, meanwhile, the Chamber announced its latest salvo: a pricey ad campaign that focuses on a EFCA provision that would empower federal arbitrators with the task of negotiation a deal between union forces and management if the two parties fail in their own negotiation.

In the Wall Street Journal piece announcing the ad campaign, the Chambers chief lobbyist, Steven Law, call this provision "anathema."

Union officials, of course, have a different take. And in an email sent to reporters, AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale pointed out that when it comes to your "credit card statement, your bank statement, or your phone bill.... any disputes you have with the companies are to be settled by arbitration."

"This is yet another example of the pure hypocrisy by big business," Vale concluded. "They have no problem with arbitration for THEMSELVES -- they just don't want America's workers to have the same right."

Comments

[PAposter]

09:13 AM on 04/14/2009

I thought there was a law against false advertising...am I wrong?

[Grunty1]

09:23 AM on 04/14/2009

Rushpublicans do not believe that laws apply to them.

[1differentdrummer]

07:44 AM on 04/14/2009

The Chamber lies.

[Dustee]

12:49 AM on 04/14/2009

After working for 25yrs at a nice company that was unionized, GW Bush came along and dismantled our union.

We were left without a leg to stand on and they began to kick our but.ts everyday because they could.

All of these companies have the money to run ads and talk you out of your right to unionize.

They tell you about a secret ballot but they don't tell you that you get that and more under EFCA. People, please don't be fools. Please don't miss out on EFCA.

http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/employee-free-choice-act/resource-library/secret-ballots-arent-enough.html

[mpc]

12:01 PM on 04/14/2009

How did GW Bush dismantle your union?

[dredger]

06:46 PM on 04/13/2009

Two things:

United We Bargain; Divided We Beg

And

Better to die on Your feet than to live on Your knees

[tokenconservative]

05:48 PM on 04/13/2009

I wouldn't mind this so much if Andy Stern wasn't on record everywhere saying that this is merely a ploy to give more money to the unions, which then get to recycle the money with political contributions to Democrats. For everyone who complains about churchs' nonprofit status, it seems a bit hypocritical (I'm neither a born Christian or religious/spiritual person).

[Mintcondition]

05:11 PM on 04/13/2009

Right on to Unions!

[notAMoron]

04:51 PM on 04/13/2009

I asked before about why secret ballots are needed and someone pointed me to this website:
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/employee-free-choice-act/resource-library/secret-ballots-arent-enough.html

I read through the literature there and based on their comparison of Federal Elections to NRLB Elections, it seems like they want to import the unchecked items and get rid of the secret ballot. Am I miss reading this?

Why not keep the secret ballot and businesses will have nothing to complain about? It seems like there would be little room for businesses to mount an effective campaign against EFCA with secret ballots intact.

[joebloe]

05:23 PM on 04/13/2009

http://washlaborwire.com/2008/12/02/nlrb-general-counsel-issues-guidelines-on-employer-withdrawal-of-recognition/

First off it doesn't remove the secret ballot. It gives the WORKERS the choice.

2) Currently they can get rid of a union without an election. Why can't we join one the same way?

3) Why should business have ANY say in how workers want to organize. The company can make decisions about their business, while workers make decisions about their jobs.

[notAMoron]

05:47 PM on 04/13/2009

So you are saying it is a race to the bottom?

Why not try to fix the disbanding process by implementing a secret ballot and requiring an election for elimination of the union?

I don't know if business should have a say in how workers organize but they should definitely have a say in who they choose to have work for them. If you look at it from the producer/consumer perspective the worker is producing a certain amount of labor and the business is consuming that labor. In every aspect of commerce the consumer has a great deal of influence over who, what, when, where and how the things they consumed are produced whether it is you choosing to go to BK instead of McDonalds and ordering a hamburger with no onions or an employer offering a certain salary for a position. The business and their jobs are intertwined and cannot be seperated.

[karela]

04:40 PM on 04/13/2009

When all the union workers want a secret ballot to protect them from the bosses and all the bosses don't want it----for the same reason, then it seems the ultimate in hypocrisy for the bosses to run ads claiming to be for the protection of the workers. The workers want it and it's the workers votes. End of story. The bosses can vote, secretly or not as they choose, about who gets a key to the executive wash room.

[econ1]

04:52 PM on 04/13/2009

If EFCA passed it would effectively eliminate the secret ballot and then any worker who wasn't willing to sign the card when three big guys presented it to him would certainly need protection.

[joebloe]

05:28 PM on 04/13/2009

I would love to see legitimate news stories about such "union pressure".
We do know about the union busting industry which makes billions trying to stop organizing.
http://www.massaflcio.org/bust-union-busters-0

[artisthawk]

08:28 PM on 04/13/2009

If you vote, you had to register in public. I do not think anyone was strongarming you then. As a union supporter, I do not agree with your statement econ. But I have witnessed employer intimidation regarding union issues.

[tokenconservative]

05:47 PM on 04/13/2009

If workers all wanted it than they would be unionized already, with or without the consent of their bosses......

[Icantbelieveher]

06:28 PM on 04/13/2009

That's totally untrue -- big business drags out the process and refuse to agree on a first contract in order to prolong the unionization, and in the meantime they get rid of the people who voted for a union in the first place -- there is no time limit now for employers and employees to agree to a contract and allow unionization!

Look who is sponsoring the opposition -- the very banks and greedy big-business owners who are trying their best to keep from having to share any profits with the very people who work their tale off to make profits for the companies!

[artisthawk]

08:33 PM on 04/13/2009

35% of labor in the US was unionized at one time. The wealthy and the middle class did well then. I have witnessed the strongarm tactics of employers and note the legislation that has diminished the membership down to single digit percentage.

[AnnfromCA]

04:28 PM on 04/13/2009

Meanwhile, SIEU is dealing with lawsuits from its own workers.

[joebloe]

04:30 PM on 04/13/2009

So one union having problems is reason to not have ANY?
Maybe we should get rid of peanut butter because of the salmonella poisoning from Peanut Corp.

[GeorgeP922]

04:42 PM on 04/13/2009

Ann were you bashing Unions last March when Hillary was campaigning in PA nonstop?

I don't remember you hating them with RW passion back then

[wdw505]

04:51 PM on 04/13/2009

no it has come time to crush the unions.

[tmc553]

04:23 PM on 04/13/2009

America, and the US Congress, needs to stand up to the repetitive lies being spewed by those who are opposed to working families making a decent wage, having decent working conditions and reasonable benefits, namely big business and the Republicans who support corporations over workers. The fact of the matter is that the EFCA does NOT prohibit secret ballot elections for union certification. It simply allows for another alternative to the certification process that is more favorable to workers than just having a secret ballot, which heavily favors business as it allows them the opportunity to threaten and intimidate workers who want a decent life. But, as we all have seen, there are those who believe that if you tell lies often enough and loudly enough, people will come to believe them as truth.

[joebloe]

04:28 PM on 04/13/2009

We also need to get the word out that unions can be REMOVED with "card check".
It seems it is OK to get rid of union without an election but can't get one the same way.

http://washlaborwire.com/2008/12/02/nlrb-general-counsel-issues-guidelines-on-employer-withdrawal-of-recognition/

[wdw505]

04:47 PM on 04/13/2009

Directly from the bill

(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, whenever a petition shall have been filed by an employee or group of employees or any individual or labor organization acting in their behalf alleging that a majority of employees in a unit appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining wish to be represented by an individual or labor organization for such purposes, the Board shall investigate the petition. If the Board finds that a majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for bargaining has signed valid authorizations designating the individual or labor organization specified in the petition as their bargaining representative and that no other individual or labor organization is currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit, the Board shall not direct an election but shall certify the individual or labor organization as the representative described in subsection (a).

they have not defined a group........so union agitators can intimidate you until you sign then move on to the next EMP when they get a simple majority the union is certified.........no time limit is defined.....so the agitators could do this in secret over years..........sounds like a bad plan.....now if to do a card check there were a secret ballot i would be ok with that....

[joebloe]

05:35 PM on 04/13/2009

So you must be upset that employers apply the same pressure already.
They don't need an election to get union recognition removed.
http://washlaborwire.com/2008/12/02/nlrb-general-counsel-issues-guidelines-on-employer-withdrawal-of-recognition/

[jbusch8]

04:12 PM on 04/13/2009

big business is against the EFCA - thats says all you need to know about who is looking out for whom.

[305Rider]

05:22 PM on 04/13/2009

Yup, & it should be enough reason to pass EFCA.

[rain33]

05:46 PM on 04/13/2009

looking out for their pockets only not their employees.every worker in this country needs to fight back like hell! it's time to fight now and stop acting like a bunch of wussies.unions members stay strong against rich corporations who got a bunch of bailouts from last year.go figure.

[joebloe]

04:08 PM on 04/13/2009

Secret ballots are ALREADY gone......if you want to remove a union!

Removal of unions are currently done with majority "card check"

Why can't we join a union the same way?


I wonder why business is now against arbitration!
If you read the fine print on most contracts you will find a stipulation that any dispute be settled by arbitration.

[sueinmn]

04:16 PM on 04/13/2009

Only because they cannot play the stall game like they normally do. They stall on a contract for a year and you have to hold a re election. (present way) This forces them to actually get a contract to move forward with. They do not want you to have any say and this forces them to be serious about gaining that contract or they might not like what an arbitrator will do.

It leverages the workers to a better advantage. I have been there and know first hand the games companies play and believe me, its no fun. You force them to the table to refuse to negotiate with you and its frustrating and you find yourself fighting everystep of the way to get basic language much less your wages and benifits. This makes them act or be TOLD WHAT THEY WILL DO!

[joebloe]

04:25 PM on 04/13/2009

When will business realize that they need a well paid workforce to buy their products?
I sympathize with your plight to get a contract.
I am lucky to belong to a strong union which has allowed me to save enough to weather this slow economic time.

[jimrs6]

04:07 PM on 04/13/2009

This bill was bought and paid for by big labor.

[sueinmn]

04:09 PM on 04/13/2009

And by workers, their families, and labor friendly friends! Time for fairness, equality, decent pay and benifits. Time to end "right to work" laws and time for change!

Time to build the middleclass up to where they belong and have every right to be!

[joebloe]

04:09 PM on 04/13/2009

And the commerce ad was paid by big business, what's your point?

[sueinmn]

04:06 PM on 04/13/2009

Simple letter to write to your Senators.

Honorable _____________,

Working families are struggling in today’s economy. To turn things around, America’s workers need the freedom to bargain with their employers for secure jobs, healthcare and retirement benefits they can count on, and a livable wage. The Employee Free Choice Act will restore the middle class. It is vital to working families that the bill remains in its original form with out being watered down. I want to thank you for sharing in my commitment to give working families a voice and for supporting the Employees Free Choice Act.

Thank you,

[sueinmn]

04:05 PM on 04/13/2009

Help rebuild the middle class in America once again! Are you tired of big business in full control of every aspect of life? Are you tired of barely making ebough to ake ends meet while those at the top profit more than rather comfortably Are you tired of watered down laws that do nothing for labor? Are you tired of being intimidated at work or feel like you are merely and number easily replaceable? Are you tired of getting the short end of the stick all the time?

Urge your Senators to vote YES for the EFCA. Don't be fooled by the lies from big business. They claim to know whats best for workers, but experience talks louder than words. Have you been profitable these past years? Have a "say" at work for a change. This chance for change may not come again, as how often do we have a labor friendly WH?