Exposing Groups Like Save our Secret Ballot and The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace

Exposing Corporate Front Groups Like Save our Secret Ballot and The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace

In the States, Opponents of Freedom to Form Unions Spread Disinformation

by Seth Michaels, Mar 2, 2009

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.

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As for one part of the Strategy Behind the Employee Free Choice Act we can credit that to Navigators Global, founder Vincent A. Roberti, Sr who'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.

One of Navigators Global clients is the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace as well as Walmart and Home Depot. On Navigators Globals website it clearly defines their Strategy Behind the Employee Free Choice Act which we have posted just a few days ago.

Their Stratagy: change the "face" of the campaign, making it a fight between union bosses and workers, and brand the private ballot as the symbol of the campaign.

Execute 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.

Launched an effort to put pressure on congressional and senatorial candidates who were sympathetic to card check ( FEAR and Intimidation Union Busting Tactics. )

Recruite a nationally-known celebrity ( Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni, played by Vince Curatola from the HBO series 'The Sopranos') to star in educational TV ads and used humor to drive home our key messages about protecting worker privacy by saving the secret ballot.

In the end Corporate Front Groups like Save our Secret Ballot,The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace and their multi-million dollar public relations firm Navigators Global continue use the same old strategies used in every Union Busting Campaign in hopes that their lies will now become the truth.


Union busting is a field populated by bullies and built on deceit. A campaign against a union is an assault on individuals and a war on truth. As such, it is a war without honor. The only way to bust a union is to lie, distort, manipulate, threaten, and always, always attack.

Martin Jay Levitt, 1993, Confessions of a Union Buster


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

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

Tags: Employee Free Choice Act, Free Choice Act, EFCA, Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, Save our Secret Ballot, Navigators Global,Vincent A. Roberti, Corporate Front Groups,SOS Ballot, Ernie Istook, Union Busting, Union Avoidance, Labor Union Sphere: Related Content


Posted by Employee Free Choice Act Now . Org at 10:06 AM
Labels: Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, Corporate Front Groups, EFCA, Employee Free Choice Act, Ernie Istook, Navigators Global, Save our Secret Ballot, Union Busting, Vincent A. Roberti