Ad Wars: Dr. Evil vs. Unions Over Employee Free Choice Act
The pro-union American Rights at Work launches Thursday a new $3 million ad campaign promoting the right to organize unions and the Employee Free Choice Act. But it's also facing a savvy, if deceptive, PR and ad blitz against the Employee Free Choice Act led in part by Richard Berman, a Washington attorney also known as "Dr. Evil," whose specialty is organizing front groups that attack proposed corporate reforms and public interest organizations, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Richard Berman, though, sees his role as simply telling hard truths liberal interest groups want to ignore and serving as an attorney just doing his job. In an exclusive interview, he says, "You can either say I'm a shill -- or an attorney who is representing my clients' interests, depending on how you want to characterize it." And he relishes the "Dr. Evil" nickname, originally coined by his friends: "It helps my businesses and distinguishes me from others who aren't as effective."
As for his 501-c-3 tax-exempt organization, he's not required to disclose his donors -- and he doesn't, although the New York Times has reported that state Chambers of Commerce are among those backing his Center for Union Facts. He refers to it as having a "very small budget," but also says it spent about $20 million on ads and other initiatives last year. He's defeated, so far, efforts by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) to have the Center for Union Facts and another one of his anti-regulation groups' tax-exempt status revoked. The real reason he's faced such criticism from unions and progressives, he insists: "Unions are desperate for changes because they can't win fairly."
(That's a claim easily disputed by evidence of unionbusting and corporate abuses of the federal union election system. But he dismisses as essentially worthless and biased the huge body of evidence regarding widespread corporate intimidation and abuses during organizing campaigns under the current toothless system, with as many as one in five of union organizers or activists fired during organizing drives. As my "Unionbusting Confidential" piece showed in In These Times, employers often justify such firings for other reasons.)
His sympathies for such unionbusting were illustrated by his apparent work on behalf of Smithfield Foods, the unionbusting company cited for illegal actions. As CREW reported about the Center for Union Facts: "Coinciding with a notorious anti-union campaign by Smithfield Foods, CUF ran a website called 'UFCW Exposed,' smearing the union organizing at Smithfield. Berman was retained by Smithfield Foods, and CUF pays Berman and Co. for 'management services,' according to The Hampton Roads Business Journal."
But now Berman is facing a taste of his own medicine, with in-your-face criticism on a new website put together by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) called Bermanexposed.org. He's hardly alone in his role as a tool of corporations seeking to undermine workers' rights, but he's become a lightning rod for criticism because of his high-profile media campaigns. CREW's press release didn't pull its punches in unveiling the new information-packed resource:
For years, Berman has been a front man for business and industry in campaigns against consumer safety and health promotion groups. Through his public relations firm, Berman and Company, Berman has fought unions, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and other watchdog groups in their efforts to raise awareness about childhood obesity, the minimum wage, the dangers of smoking, mad cow disease, drunk driving, and other issues. Berman runs at least 15 industry-funded front groups and projects, such as the Center for Union Facts (CUF)...Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today, "Richard Berman has become wealthy by deceiving the public through scare tactics, sleazy ads, and bogus websites. BermanExposed.org lists in one place Berman's pay-for play activities, and demonstrates that his real expertise is making money.
Before one more story is published citing Berman as a credible expert, we encourage journalists and consumers to take a look at BermanExposed.org to better understand Richard Berman's number one goal: to be the best snake-oil salesman ever."
Berman discounts the charges as "old news," especially claims that some of his groups' tax-exempt status should be revoked, and he says he's facing new attacks just because "we've gotten aggressive."
The ads supported by a variety of front groups, including the Center for Union Facts and the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, flatly claim that the new Employee Free Choice Act amendment to current law takes away the secret ballot. But when interviewed, Berman and other spokespeople offer some weasel wording: they say the bill "effectively" takes away the right to a secret ballot, invoking the myth of union intimidation. But the law explicitly retains the right to ask for a secret-ballot election, with as little as 30 percent of workers needed to ask for an election.
The new pro-union ads show what's really at stake here. Take a look:
As one ad says, featuring workers looking for change in their standard of living and protection at work:
"I hope to have some health care ... for a change," says the first worker."I hope to work just one job ... for a change," says another.
"I hope to be able to save a little ... for a change," says a third.
"We voted on Election Day for hope and change. Now it's time for action. The Employee Free Choice Act lets workers choose to join a union to earn better pay, health benefits and job security," the ad concludes.
What remains to be seen is whether these upbeat ads, plus new polling showing 78 percent of the public favoring the Employee Free Choice Act, overwhelming Congressional support and a new pro-union administration, can help overcome the smears and intensive lobbying orchestrated by corporate flacks like Dr. Evil, Richard Berman. So far, it looks like the votes will be there.
*******************************
Art Levine co-hosts the 'D'Antoni and Levine" Web radio show every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET. This week's guest is Salameh Nematt, the international editor of The Daily Beast, talking about what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will face in the crisis in Gaza and the Mideast and other issues.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
Why not have a secret ballot to decide if the workers want to put it to a vote, by secret ballot, to unionize?
If all aspects of the process are by secret ballot, neither side can intimidate anyone. Both sides are being ridiculous here. Let the workers decide in the ballot box what they want to do.
What have American corporations done to make America strong? Nothing. They engage in tax dodging, off-shoring, labor arbitraging, pollution, toxic waste dumping, and the poisoning of the ground water supply. Nice record if it is meant to destroy our country. Unions care about their country, unlike corporations.
That's not true, actually. The unions don't care for the country any more than the corporations do. However, their self interest has a nice way of offsetting the corporate self interest, which is why we need to strengthen our union representation!
Employee Free Choice Now . Org
Educating The World on The EFCA.
Myth vs. Reality: The REALITY is the Employee Free Choice Act Helps American Workers and their Families.
Despite the need for reform, critics of EFCA continue to misinform the public about the bill and hide the serious shortcomings of current labor law. Democrats are committed to setting the record straight and passing this important legislation on behalf of American workers and their families.
MYTH: EFCA will prevent the use of secret-ballot elections.
REALITY: EFCA does not strip workers of their right to choose a secret-ballot election to decide whether to select -- or not to select -- a union representative. EFCA simply gives workers the additional option of selecting a union representative by majority sign-up.
For More Information on EFCA please visit our website and blog
http://www.employeefreechoiceactnow.org
http://efcanow.blogspot.com/
Sorry, but my experience with the labor unions made me a strong opponent of the Employee Free-Choice Act. The union organizers bullied and intimidated employees in an effort to get them to vote union, and that was with secret balloting. I can only imagine how much worse it would have been with a card check.
And what recourse did the union have if the people refused?? That's right, they could make them feel bad. On the OTHER hand, what recourse does the EMPLOYER have if that employee decides to sign the card? That's right, they can FIRE them!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry, but 42 incidents in six decades of union intimidation vs *27,000* incidents of EMPLOYER intimidation IN 2006 ALONE!!!!!! I'll take my chances, ESPECIALLY considering the difference of what they can do to me!
You mean like the teamsters, they used to have there friends in the neighood pay people a visit.
I have no problem with Dr. Evil. But the business interests that he represents are playing with fire. American labor is willing, able and ready to work. In return for their labor they expect to be able to feed their children and live indoors. When there is no work there is no food. When the unemployed and the soon to be unemployed reach critical mass there will be an explosion. When the working class is pressed to the point of desperation, it discovers the power of solidarity. The puny, pathetic oligarchy doesn't have enough dogs and guns to stand against us. Stay alert Dr. Evil. And keep a clear path to the back door.
The Conservative Media
Dec 24, 2008
Wall Street crooks named Grinch of the Year
Wall Street executive’s unchecked corporate greed helped them win the Ninth Annual National Grinch of the Year Award for 2008 sponsored by Jobs with Justice.
After taking nominations from all over the country, voting began on Dec. 2 for the dishonor of the person or group who caused the most harm to working families. The nominees besides Wall Street were anti-worker corporate lobbyist Richard Berman and current U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.
The Bush administration threw money at Wall Street with zero oversight, while requiring the Big 3 and the millions of blue collar workers they employee to jump through hoops. Over the past 30 years, conservatives successfully gutted regulation and preached 'smaller government' while millions of Americans lost good jobs and Wall Street and corporate America made record profits. Wall Street invented new, more complicated ways to make money off other people’s money Now that the party’s over; Wall Street wants to plunder the rest of us to pay the bill for their greedy rampage. This comes on the heels of news banks refuse to even say what they did with the money we gave them.=========
ahhh remember Lech Walensa (phonetic spelling) ... when he used his poaition of union head in Poland to take over the govt.? He was a right wing hero.... A labor boss... the so called "right to work" states are also the poorest states, with low median incomes (wide wage disparity) ... low education scores and unhealthy populations... and brainwashed citizens.
I hope it passes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All the jobs will move to "Right to work" states.
um... yeah.... You go ahead and believe that one..... What's more likely to happen is for more "right to work" states becoming more in line with the 21st century....
Due to a shift in the nature of work most jobs in the US are service jobs and have fewer abiulities to move to right to work state, e.g. a doorman of a NYC building or a waiter or a nurse. The South (if you are an example of one their critters) will probably remain underpaid and overworked and ultimately stupid as they have been in the past.
EFCAexposed.com is run by the Labor Relations Institute, whose web site boasts it is the "nation's most active firm conveying the overwhelming disadvantages of union membership."
Mary Beth Maxwell, executive director of American Rights at Work:
Claims of union intimidation are far from credible. According to AFL-CIO Associate General Counsel Nancy Schiffer, a study of NLRB decisions found only 42 cases of union fraud or coercion over more than six decades since the NLRB was established. Compared with the nearly 27,000 instances of company violations of workers’ rights in 2006 alone, it’s clear that corporate anti-union scaremongering is a ploy to disguise the anti-worker agenda.
Secret ballot argument against Employee Free Choice Act is a canard
by Ron Moore :
http://www.examiner.com/x-2071-DC-Special-Interests-Examiner~y2009m1d13-Secret-ballot-argument-against-Employee-Free-Choice-is-a-canard
Don't believe the Lies of Richard Berman and the Labor Relations Institute:
http://www.employeefreechoiceactnow.org
42 cases in more than six decades compared to 27,000 cases in one year..... Gee, I'd be more worried about the union placing peer pressure on me than about the company FIRING ME!!!!
"But the law explicitly retains the right to ask for a secret-ballot election, with as little as 30 percent of workers needed to ask for an election."
This needs to be stated loudly and clearly.
Most of the objections to this act revolve around the issue of loss of secret-ballot elections and possible union organizer intimidation with the card check option.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
