Have Anti-Union Smear Ads Flopped? Here's Why 78% of Public Favors Unions

Just as Karl Rove-style tactics didn't work against Barack Obama's campaign, union supporters see promising signs that the spate of negative TV and print ads from corporate front groups attacking the Employee Free Choice Act appear to be failing to sway the public. The main line of attack is that the proposed bill would supposedly take away the right to a secret ballot for workers; in fact, the bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to give workers the choice of whether to have a secret-ballot election or the majority sign-up approach for a union, also dubbed "card check" by some.

The latest good news for backers of the bill came with new polling released Thursday by Hart Research Associates that found 78 percent of the public favors legislation that would make it easier for workers to bargain with their employers. Unlike some skewed polls offered before the election by business critics of the legislation, Hart's research, commissioned by the AFL-CIO, gave a fair description of its three key elements, as outlined in the memo available here, including majority sign-up. A striking 75% of the public favored the provision of the bill that "allows employees to have a union once a majority of employees in a workplace sign authorization cards indicating they want to form a union."

A spokesperson for a Chamber of Commerce-backed organization, the Coalition for Workplace Democracy, told me, while justifying new misleading ads: "I would argue that because the legislation effectively takes away the secret ballot folks are having second thoughts about it," she says of the bill's progress in Congress, "and the sense of urgency has been pushed back."

But I found in doing reporting for a new In These Times piece precisely the opposite:

In truth, the cratering economy has added a new urgency to pro-labor legislation and the strong public support for the measure shows that the false attacks aren't working , union advocates, pollsters and most independent journalists contend. A New York Times editorial saying passage of the bill is urgently needed now to help raise wages has become the centerpiece of a new SEIU ad campaign. Alison Omens, an AFL-CIO spokesperson, observes, "Leaders in Congress and the public understand that without workers having the freedom to bargain collectively they can't rebuild the middle class. There is broad support and understanding of the need for legislation to allow workers to have a better life," especially since wages have been stagnant for at least a decade. At a briefing on the Hart polling on Thursday, the AFL-CIO's legislative director, Bill Samuel, added that the anti-Free Choice ads "haven't had much effect," while contending that the more people "think about the economy," the more support for the legislation grows.

In fact, Esther Kaplan reinforces the importance of a strong labor movement to an economic and progressive recovery in an important new Nation article, "Can Labor Revive the American Dream?"

Some of her key points about what's at stake in the Employee Free Choice Act:

But as the leading corporate lobbies recognize, the bill could have far-reaching effects. By reviving unions, it could push up wages, realigning the broken economy so that company profits are spread beyond CEOs. It could help rein in corporate power and, perhaps most threatening to a business community that has enjoyed decades of deregulation, sustain a progressive majority in Washington in the years to come. If progressives aren't doing the math, conservatives are. "Unions don't spend money to elect Republicans," Senator John Ensign told a group of executives this past fall. "They spend money to elect Democrats. From our perspective, this would have devastating consequences."

Despite some ambivalence from the Obama team during the transition about pushing for the bill there are signs that the tide is turning towards strong and early action, if not necessarily in the first month:

Union strategists are confident they'll be able to reach the 60 votes needed to break any GOP filibuster, by holding all Democrats and adding Sen. Arlen Specter, a past supporter of the bill. And now veteran political reporters are finding a new determination among Democratic leaders and the incoming Obama administration to press for the bill. In a tough-minded piece for Porfolio, Matthew Cooper writes, "Transition officials were divided on how aggressively and quickly Obama should move on the bill, but sources close to the campaign tell me he will push ahead."

It's small wonder that union advocates were so cheered by the new polling. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney proclaimed Thursday when the new polling numbers were released: "In today's economic squeeze, workers need the freedom to bargain their way into the middle class more than ever. This new research confirms that the vast majority of Americans support workers' freedom to form unions to improve their lives and support the Employee Free Choice Act, which is key to making our economy work for everyone." It still remains to be seen whether the union movement and its progressive allies can rally enough support to overcome the corporate smear ads and spur Congress to pass the legislation, but so far, with widespread public backing for the bill and the new Congress already taking up fair pay for women legislation this week, the signs are strikingly positive.

Art Levine co-hosts the "D'Antoni and Levine" show each Thursday at 5:30 p.m., ET.

Comments

[DuganS1]

This is not a good time to push for unionism. We're in a period of declining employment and corporate profits. Unionizing workers will result in strike activity and higher costs for business, which results in lower corporate profits and less private investment. Increased unionism also will make the US more un-competitive in the tradable goods sectors, meaning companies will increasingly invest and buy abroad, as will as shutter US facilities and move them somewhere else. In some sectors of the manufacturing, investment had been growing over the last few years until recently, and I think it will be a shame to have that trend reversed because of increased unionism -- it would be one of the biggest threats to our recovering manufacturing sectors that could be done.

[wolfgangmo]

This is exactly the time to push for new unions and expanding unions.

So chum, but the old false arguments that unions equal last jobs is pure corporate propaganda. I contains a kernel of truth but it misses the meal.

Just because people unionize does not mean that they automatically ask for the sky and the moon. People are not as stupid as you think they are. Unions are about leveling the playing field and having a voice.

I guess that means that you are also against the 1st amendment. I further guess that your idea of democracy is one dollar - one vote.

[DuganS1]

Unions did "ask for the sky" from about 1969 until the early 1980s. They were not about "leveling the playing field" in that period because they were asking for large wage increases even during periods of high unemployment and periods of low and/or negative profits. The wage price spiral unions perpetuated was one reason why domestic industries became so uncompetitive in the 1970s and 1980s and why inflation was killing the US economy for so long requiring a massive increase in interest rates by Volker. It wasn't until rates reached to about 20% and unemployment double digits that the unions were finally defeated and the US economy could start to grow again.

[brooks4932]

Your wrong about this, most people don't even understand what this bill will do to the American public. With the economy the way it is this would be a disaster."In this global economy, companies have a choice. If EFCA passes, American jobs will be lost and the economy will suffer terribly because companies will not want to open factories in this country." Look at the big 3 they have to get a government bail out because these companies are unionized.
The so-called Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would grant unions certification as soon as they had collected signature cards from half the workers, effectively stripping workers of their right to vote in a government supervised secret ballot election. EFCA would also impose substantial fines for employers' mistakes, as well as force first contracts determined by a third party arbitrator, even if the employer and the union both might disagree with the mandated final contract terms.
And this bill is an outrage considering that 87% of the American Public support a private ballot vote for unionization. This is a way for the unions, and union lobbyists to strong arm the American worker! Public card signing will expose workers to pressure, harassment, and threats from the union. And what about the other 49% their voice is not heard. brooks4932

[JBS]

I think one of the first things they ought to do is RE-NAME Washington National Airport. Strip it of its association with the union buster and name it for John F. Leyden or Robert E. Poli.

[einherjar]

I am a union worker and believe strongly in the union ideology.

That said, I feel very strongly that the upper echelon of union leaders suffer from the same issues of greed and self importance that our government suffers from.

They have forgotten about the workers being a critical part of the union mechanism. They have worked dilligently to remove them from the decision making processes, and consolidate power at the top.

The union leaders, much like those in government, are so far removed from the daily struggles of the average worker they no longer adequately represent them.

[LINY516]

More unions are needed to protect workers. However, unions have to understand that they can't go too far relating to protecting lazy no good workers and overpopulating jobs. If a project needs only two workers; don't demant 5. If the mentality of unions change, more people would support unions.

By the way, I am pro union, but they need to hire spokespeople who can articulate their positions that the simpleton public can grasp. Unfortunately, the Presidents of the Unions, including the AFL-CIO's pres, put this pro union person to sleep with their news conferences.

They have to market themselves. Once they put out what they can do for the worker, it should be a no-brainer.

[schatsie]

United Healthcare wants to Unionize so they can get a better piece of the pie...If the President of United Health can get 1.6 billion, they want better also....and the only way is to unionize....

Remember those million dollar a year pensions at American Airlines.. That is why the pilots went on strike....

Up the taxes on the rich to 90%....and take away all deductions­...includi­ng the standard deduction and exemptions and socially engineer them for the bottom 60 or 80%...

[WorkingClass]

American workers are docile and obedient as long as they are able to pay the rent and feed their family. In hard times they will work longer and do with less. But when they no longer have a pay check and are facing hunger and homelessness, they will take matters into their own hands. The sleeping giant is stirring. Can you hear it Grover Norquist? We are coming for YOU!

[nomoredead]

Read Ester Kaplan's article at ' The Nation '. Very good.

[enochsmoky]

Wow! I bet that was an unbiased poll being conducted by Democratic pollster Peter Hart and commissioned by the AFL-CIO. The Employee Free Choice Act is going to face hard sledding and a significant number of Democrats are very uneasy about supporting this badly misnamed piece of legislation. As a small businessman, I hope that the Democrats push hard on divisive legislation like this and global warming laws, they will be in the minority by the next election cycle.

[JohnBryansFontaine]

Non-Unionized Workers:

You don't have to put up with the Carl Rove style BS arguments that enochsmoky makes, the LIES you've heard so many times. Just as with electing Obama, yes we can:

http://www.employeefreechoiceactnow.org/

[wolfgangmo]

I own a small company as well. If you don't treat your employees like serfs then you probably won't have a problem. Give that a try.

[LebronJeremy]

I'm so sick of anti-union sentiment. It's a vulgariziation of an ideology that needs to die. Anti-union is anti-worker, essentially. When did this counrty bocome about what's best for the big guy?

[schatsie]

same time they started reading Playboy and deciding it was better to believe in the fantasy than deal with reality....