Anti-Worker Forces At It Again!
Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:09:12 PM PDT
Cross-posted at EENR Blog.
So I'm just sitting here, minding my own business, watching some news on MSNBC. Then, all of a sudden, a commercial comes on the air. I'm told that unions are trying to steal my right to a secret ballot. That a crude Italian mafia stereotype is going to browbeat me into signing a card to join a union. That all my co-workers will stare at me disapprovingly until I sign. This was all brought to me by the friendly people at the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. I'll tell you more about it after the jump.
The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace has just started a nationwide ad campaign to fight against the Employee Free Choice Act. For those of you who don't know, the EFCA is a bill that, when it finally becomes a law, will
restore workers’ freedom to choose a union by:
* Establishing stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations.
* Providing mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes.
* Allowing employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation.
Clearly, this bill will make it much easier for workers to form and join unions. And why is that good? Well, unions have given us many things, such as:
- The weekend off. (no longer available in all areas)
- The 8 hour workday. (no longer available in all areas)
- Improved worker safety conditions. (no longer available in all areas)
- Better wages for organized working people.
- Better conditions for organized working people.
- Better benefits for organized working people.
So why aren't all of these things still available everywhere for everyone? Because the gains that were achieved by organized labor have been steadily eroded by politicians bought and paid for by corporate lobbyists and interests. And if we're not careful, what few protections we have will be stolen away. And the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace wants to ensure that happens.
You see, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace is not made up of friendly pro-democracy types like their name suggests. Let me give you a list of who makes up the Coalition.
60 Plus Association
Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (MA)
Alabama Chapter of ABC
Alabama Restaurant Association
Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers Association
Alaska Chapter of ABC
Alliance for Worker Freedom
Aluminum Association
American Apparel & Footwear Association
American Bakers Association
American Beverage Association
American Conservative Union
American Fire Sprinkler Association
American Foundry Society
American Frozen Food Institute
American Hospital Association
American Hotel & Lodging Association
American Meat Institute
American Seniors Housing Association
American Shareholders Association
American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration
American Society of Employers
American Supply Association
American Trucking Associations
American Wholesale Marketers Association
Americans for a Limited Government
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Tax Reform
AMT-The Association for Manufacturing Technology
Antelope Valley (CA) Chamber of Commerce
API
Arcadia (CA) Chamber of Commerce
Arizona Builders Alliance of ABC
Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association
Arizona IEC
Arizona Restaurant & Hospitality Association
Arkansas Chapter of ABC
Arkansas Hospitality Association
Arkansas Hotel & Lodging Association
Arkansas IEC
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce
Asheboro/Randolph (NC) Chamber of Commerce
Ashland & Tri State Area Chapter IEC
Assisted Living Federation of America
Associated Builders & Contractors
Associated Builders & Contractors Heart of America Chapter
Associated Builders & Contractors of Alabama
Associated Industries of Massachusetts
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association of Millwork Distributors
Association of Washington Business
Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers
Atlanta Hotel Council
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
Baltimore Metro Chapter of ABC
Bearing Specialists Association
Burnsville (MN) Chamber of Commerce
Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire
California Chamber of Commerce
California Hotel & Lodging Association
California Manufacturers & Technology Association
California Restaurant Association
Camarillo (CA) Chamber of Commerce
Capital Associated Industries Inc
Carolinas Chapter of ABC
Center for Freedom & Prosperity
Center for Individual Freedom
Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise
CenTex Chapter IEC
Central Alabama Chapter IEC
Central California Chapter of ABC
Central Florida Chapter of ABC
Central Indiana IEC
Central Michigan Chapter of ABC
Central Missouri IEC
Central Ohio AEC/EIC
Central Ohio Chapter of ABC
Central Pennsylvania Chapter of ABC
Central Pennsylvania Chapter of IEC
Central Texas Chapter of ABC
Central Washington IEC
Centre County (PA) IEC
Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County
Chamber of Medford/Jackson County (OR)
Charleston (SC) Metro Chamber of Commerce
Chattanooga Area (TN) Chamber of Commerce
Chesapeake Chapter of ABC
Chesapeake IEC
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
Citizen Outreach Project
College & University Professional Association for Human Resources
Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry
Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry
Colorado Hospital Association
Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association
Colorado Restaurant Association
Connecticut Business & Industry Association
Connecticut Chapter of ABC
Connecticut Restaurant Association
Copper & Brass Servicenter
Cornhusker Chapter of ABC
Costa Mesa (CA) Chamber of Commerce
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Cumberland Valley Chapter of ABC
Dakotas Inc IEC/Dallas Chapter IEC
Daytona Beach/Halifax (FL) Chamber of Commerce
Delaware Chapter of ABC
Delaware Restaurant Association
Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce
Duluth (MN) Area Chamber of Commerce
East Tennessee Chapter of ABC
East Tennessee IEC
East Texas IEC
Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of ABC
Eastern Sandoval County (NM) Chamber of Commerce
Eastern Shore Chapter of ABC
Eastern Washington Chapter IEC
El Paso Chapter IEC
Empire State Chapter of ABC
Environmental Industry Associations
Fairfax County (VA) Chamber of Commerce
Federation of American Hospitals
FEWA-Marketing & Distribution Association
Flagstaff (AZ) Chamber of Commerce
Florida Chamber of Commerce
Florida East Coast Chapter of ABC
Florida First Coast Chapter of ABC
Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of ABC
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association
Florida West Coast Chapter IEC
Food Marketing Institute
Forging Industry Association
Fort Worth/Tarrant County IEC
Freedom Works
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Georgia Chapter of ABC
Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association
Georgia IEC
Georgia Restaurant Association
Glendale (AZ) Chamber of Commerce
Golden Gate Chapter of ABC
Goleta Valley (CA) Chamber of Commerce
Grand Junction Area (CO) Chamber of Commerce
Graphic Arts Association
Greater Albuquerque (NM) Chamber of Commerce
Greater Bakersfield (CA) Chamber of Commerce
Greater Cincinnati IEC
Greater Columbia (SC) Chamber of Commerce
Greater Columbus (GA) Chamber of Commerce
Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce
Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce
Greater Elkhart (IN) Chamber of Commerce
Greater Findlay (OH) Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
Greater Houston Chapter of ABC
Greater Louisville Inc.
Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce
Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce
Greater Pittsburgh Hotel Association
Greater Raleigh (NC) Chamber of Commerce
Greater Spokane Incorporated
Greater St. Louis IEC
Greater Syracuse (NY) Chamber of Commerce
Green Bay Area (WI) Chamber of Commerce
Guam Contractors Association of ABC
Hampton Area (NH) Chamber of Commerce
Hampton Roads Chapter IEC
Hardin County Chamber of Commerce
Hartford (CT) Chamber of Commerce
Hawaii Chapter of ABC
Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association
Hawaii Restaurant Association
Heart of America Chapter of ABC
Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International
Henderson (NV) Chamber of Commerce
Hilliard Chamber of Commerce
Hispanic Alliance for Progress Institute
Hobbs (NM) Chamber of Commerce
Hospitality Association of South Carolina
Hotel Association of New York City
Hotel Association of Washington DC
Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce
HR Policy Association
Idaho IEC
Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Association
Illinois Chamber of Commerce
Illinois Chapter of ABC
Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association
Illinois IEC
Illinois Restaurant Association
Independent Electrical Contractors Inc
Indian River County (FL) Chamber of Commerce
Indiana Chamber of Commerce
Indiana Chapter of ABC
Industrial Fasteners Institute
Industrial Supply Association
Inland Pacific Chapter of ABC
Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute
International Council of Shopping Centers
International Foodservice Distributors Association
International Franchise Association
International Truck Parts Association
International Warehouse Logistics Association
Iowa Association of Business & Industry
Iowa Chapter of ABC
Iowa Restaurant Association
Iowans for Right to Work
Kansas City IEC
Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association
Kentuckiana Chapter of ABC
Kentucky & Southern Indiana Chapter IEC
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Kentucky Electrical Contractors Association
Keystone Chapter of ABC
Kentucky Restaurant Association
Lake Havasu Area (AZ) Chamber of Commerce
Larue County Chamber of Commerce
Las Vegas (NV) Chamber of Commerce
Las Vegas Chapter of ABC
Licking County Chamber of Commerce
Little Rock Chamber of Commerce
Long Beach (CA) Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles-Ventura Chapter of ABC
Louisiana Association of Business & Industry
Louisiana Restaurant Association
Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce
Lubbock Chapter IEC
Maine Chapter of ABC
Maine Innkeepers Association
Maine Restaurant Association
Management Association of Illinois (The)
Manufacturers’ Association of NW Pennsylvania
Marion Area Chamber of Commerce
Maryland Hotel, Motel & Resort Association
Massachusetts Chapter of ABC
Massachusetts Restaurant Association
Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association
MEC-IEC of Dayton, OH
Metals Service Center Institute
Metro Washington Chapter of ABC
Metro West (MA) Chamber of Commerce
Michigan Chamber of Commerce
Michigan Manufacturers Association
Michigan Restaurant Association
Mid Gulf Coast Chapter of ABC
Mid Tennessee Chapter of ABC
Mid-Oregon Chapter IEC
Mid-South Chapter IEC
Midwest IEC
Minnesota Chapter of ABC
Minnesota Restaurant Association
Mississippi Chapter of ABC
Mississippi Economic Development Council
Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association
Mississippi Manufacturers Association
Missouri Restaurant Association
Monroe (LA) Chamber of Commerce
Montana Chamber of Commerce
Montana IEC
Montana Innkeepers Association
Montana Restaurant Association
Montgomery Area (AL) Chamber of Commerce
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
Mountain States Empoyers Council
Nashville IEC
Natchitoches Area (LA) Chamber of Commerce
National Alliance for Worker & Employer Rights
National Armored Car Association
National Association of Chemical Distributors
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Sign Supply Distributors
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Council of Chain Restaurants
National Federation of Independent Business
National Franchisee Association
National Grocers Association
National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association
National Mining Association
National Paper Trade Association
National Petrochemical & Refiners Association
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
National Restaurant Association
National Retail Federation
National Roofing Contractors Association
National School Transportation Association
National Solid Wastes Management Association
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
National Tank Truck Carriers, Inc.
National Taxpayers Union
National Tooling & Machining Association
Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Nebraska Hotel & Motel Association
Nebraska Restaurant Association
Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association
Nevada Manufactures Association
Nevada Restaurant Association
New England IEC
New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association
New Hampshire/Vermont Chapter of ABC
New Jersey Business & Industry Association
New Jersey Chapter of ABC
New Jersey Hotel & Lodging Association
New Jersey IEC
New Jersey Restaurant Association
New Mexico Chapter of ABC
New Mexico Lodging Association
New Mexico Restaurant Association
New Orleans/Bayou Chapter of ABC
New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association
New York State Restaurant Association
North Alabama Chapter of ABC
North Carolina Chamber of Commerce
North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association
North Dakota Chamber of Commerce
North Dakota Hospitality Association
North Florida Chapter of ABC
North Las Vegas (NV) Chamber of Commerce
North Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce
North Texas Chapter of ABC
Northern Allegheny County Chamber of Commerce
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Northern Michigan Chapter of ABC
Northern New Mexico IEC
Northern Ohio Chapter of ABC
Northern Ohio Electrical Contractors Association
Northwest Pennsylvania IEC
Northwest Washington IEC
Office Products Wholesalers Association
Offshore Marine Service Association
Ohio Chamber of Commerce
Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association
Ohio Restaurant Association
Ohio Valley Chapter of ABC
OKC Inc IEC
Oklahoma Chapter of ABC
Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association
Oklahoma Restaurant Association
Oklahoma State Chamber
Optical Laboratories Association
Oregon IEC
Oregon Lodging Association
Oregon Restaurant Association
Owatonna Area (MN) Chamber of Commerce & Tourism
Oxnard (CA) Chamber of Commerce
Oxnard Chamber of Commerce
Pacific Northwest Chapter of ABC
Pacific Printing & Imaging Association
Pelican Chapter of ABC
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.
Pennsylvania Restaurant Association
Pennsylvania Tourism & Lodging Association
Petroleum Equipment Institute
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association
Precision Metalforming Association
Printing & Graphics Association MidAtlantic
Printing & Imaging Association Mountain States
Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia, Inc.
Printing & Imaging Association of MidAmerica
Printing & Imaging Association of New York State
Printing Association of Florida, Inc.
Printing Industries Association Inc. "Serving Northern Kentucky and Ohio"
Printing Industries Association of San Diego
Printing Industries Association of Southern California, Inc.
Printing Industries Association, Inc. of Arizona
Printing Industries of America
Printing Industries of Michigan, Inc.
Printing Industries of New England
Printing Industries of Northern California
Printing Industries of St. Louis
Printing Industries of the Gulf Coast
Printing Industries of the Midlands, Inc.
Printing Industries of Utah
Printing Industries of Virginia
Printing Industries of Wisconsin
Printing Industry Association of the South, Inc.
Printing Industry of Illinois/Indiana Assn.
Printing Industry of Minnesota, Inc
Printing Industry of the Carolinas, Inc.
Property Rights Alliance
Public Service Research Council
Puget Sound Washington Chapter IEC
Redwood Empire Chapter IEC
Regional Legislative Alliance of Santa Barbara County (CA)
Restaurant and Hospitality Association of Indiana
Restaurant Association of Maryland
Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Rhode Island Chapter of ABC
Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association
Rio Grande Valley Chapter of IEC Inc
Rocky Mountain Chapter of ABC
Rocky Mountain IEC
Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce
Ruston-Lincoln (LA) Chamber of Commerce
Sacramento (CA) Metro Chamber of Commerce
Saginaw Valley Chapter of ABC
San Antonio Chapter IEC
San Diego Chapter of ABC
San Diego North (CA) Chamber of Commerce
San Diego North Chamber of Commerce
Sebago Lake Region (ME) Chamber of Commerce
Sierra Nevada Chapter of ABC
Society of Human Resource Management
Society of the Plastics Industry (The)
South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
South Florida Chapter Inc IEC
South Dakota Retailers Association
South Texas Chapter of ABC
Southeast Missouri IEC
Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter of ABC
Southeast Texas Chapter of ABC
Southeastern Michigan Chapter of ABC
Southern Arizona IEC
Southern California Chapter of ABC
Southern California IEC
Southern Colorado Chapter IEC
Southern Indiana Chapter-Evansville IEC
Southern New Mexico IEC
St. Mary’s County (MD) Chamber of Commerce
Staten Island (NY) Chamber of Commerce
Stuart-Martin County (FL) Chamber of Commerce
Taxpayers League of Minnesota
Tennessee Hospital Association
Tennessee Hotel & Lodging Association
Tennessee Restaurant Association
Texas Coastal Bend Chapter of ABC
Texas Gulf Coast Chapter IEC
Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of ABC
Texas Hotel & Lodging Association
Texas Mid-Coast Chapter of ABC
Texas Panhandle IEC
Texas Restaurant Association
Texas State IEC
Texas Warehouse Association
Texoma IEC
Textile Care Allied Trades Association
The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana
The Real Estate Roundtable
Tooling & Manufacturing Association
Treasure State IEC
Tri-State IEC
Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Human Recourses and Ethics Services
Uniform and Textile Service Association
United Chambers of Commerce-SFV & Region
United Motorcoach Association
Utah Chapter of ABC
Utah Hotel & Lodging Association
Utah IEC
Utah Restaurant Association
Ventura Chapter IEC
Vermont Hospitality Council
Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Virginia Chapter of ABC
Virginia Hospital and Travel Association
Visalia (CA) Chamber of Commerce
Washington IEC
Washington Restaurant Association
Washington State Hotel & Lodging Association
WECA IEC
West Chamber Serving Jefferson County (CO)
West Suburban (IL) Chamber of Commerce & Industry
West Tennessee Chapter of ABC
West Texas IEC
West Virginia Chapter of ABC
West Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association
Western Carolina Industries
Western Colorado Chapter of ABC
Western Colorado IEC
Western Michigan Chapter of ABC
Western Pennsylvania Chapter of ABC
Western Reserve Chapter IEC
Western Washington Chapter of ABC
Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association
Wichita Chapter IEC
Wisconsin Chapter of ABC
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Association
Wisconsin Restaurant Association
Wyoming Lodging & Restaurant Association
I apologize for the list being so long. But this is what working people are up against. Blame them. They're the ones bringing together every anti-worker group in the country to try and beat down working people once again. They're the ones trying to reestablish a Gilded Age here in America where workers have no rights whatsoever. And there's only one way to stop them. We have to fight back.
What works out well is that we have already started fighting back. We need to beat them at the ballot box in every city, every district, every state, nationwide. We need to make sure the people we elect know who we are and what we care about. We need to make sure that our elected officials know we will have their back if they defend working people by supporting EFCA. And, most importantly, we need to make sure that our elected officials know that we will toss them out of office the first chance we get if they betray America's workers.
So who's with me? Who's ready to stand up for working people?
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