Center for Union Facts
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The Center for Union Facts is an advocacy group critical of union activities. It is one of several groups created by Richard Berman, who works for a firm that is a lobby group representing the interests of the food, alcohol and tobacco industries,and the Employment Policies Institute.
The domain name www.unionfacts.com was registered to Berman & Co. in May 2005.
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[edit] Activities
The Center for Union Facts was launched in February 2006 with full-page ads appearing in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal [1]. In May 2006 the Center for Union Facts launched its first TV ad campaign. The 30-second spot [2], running on Fox News and local markets, has "actors posing as workers" saying what they 'love' about unions," like paying dues, union leaders' "fat-cat lifestyles," and discrimination against minorities. The ad campaign cost $3 million, which was raised "from companies, foundations and individuals that Mr. Berman won't identify." [3]
Another TV ad will be filmed in June. Labor and economics professor Harley Shaiken said the effort "to create an antiunion atmosphere" more generally, as opposed to business-funded ads against a particular union organizing drive or strike, "is a new wrinkle." An AFL-CIO spokesperson called the ad's accusations "unfounded and outrageous." [4]
In August 2006 the Center for Union Facts ran a series of advertisements in Montana, Oregon, Michigan, and Nevada attacking public employee unions. It appears that this may have been connected with ballot initiatives in those states proposing public spending caps. [5] [6]
The Center for Union Facts is active in fighting the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.[7]
[edit] Personnel
Rick Berman, Executive Director. [8] The contact person on the initial media release is Sarah Longwell who has worked in public relations for Rick Berman at his Employment Policies Institute as well as for the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and its Collegiate Network.
[edit] Funding
United Press International noted that "the group's spokesman refused to release the names of its donors or say where its funding came from." [9]
Berman told Bloomberg reporter, Kim Bowman, that he had raised "about $2.5 million from companies, trade organizations and individuals, whom he declined to identify." [10]
Sarah Longwell, a spokeswoman for the Center for Union Facts, echoed Berman's groups standard claim for secrecy on who funds their front groups. "The reason we don't disclose supporters is because unions have a long history of targeting anyone who opposes them, whether it be in a threatening way or by lodging campaigns against them," she told Detroit Free Press. [11]
The paper reported that while Wal-Mart Stores denied funding the group it stated that "it has a relationship in which it exchanges union information with Berman, the group's head." [12]
Other SourceWatch resources
- Bob McAdam
- Lee Culpepper
[edit] External links
- www.unionfacts.com website.
[edit] The Center for Union Facts Media Releases
- "The Center for Union Facts Launches Multimillion-Dollar Campaign and Comprehensive Website to Expose [13]", Media Release, January 10, 2006.
- The Center for Union Facts, "The Center for Union Facts Positions Huge Dinosaur Outside AFL-CIO [14]", News Release, February 13, 2006.
- "Union Facts Calls on Wal-Mart to Begin Funding Education Campaign [15]", Media Release, May 27, 2006.
[edit] Articles
- "Anti-union group launches media campaign [16]",United Press International, February 13, 2006
- Amy Joyce, "Full-Page Ads Launch Anti-Union Drive - Lobbyist Aims to Show Labor Groups to be 'Duplicitous' [17]", Washington Post, February 14, 2006.
- Steven Greenhouse, "Group Starts Anti-Union Campaign [18]", New York Times, February 14, 2006.
- Kim Chapman, "New group launches anti-union drive [19]", Seattle Post Intelligencer, February 14, 2006. (This is a syndicated Bloomberg story).
- Kris Maher, "Taking on the AFL-CIO [20]", "Incident Report", Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2006.
- Kortney Stringer, "Antiunion ad campaign in Detroit's face today [21]", Detroit Free Press, May 24, 2006.
- WakeUpWalMart.com, "New Evidence Shows Wal-Mart Working Closely With Right Wing Attack Group, Says WakeUpWalMart.com [22]", Media Release, May 26, 2006.
- Marcus Kabel, "Wal-Mart denies funding anti-union ads [23]", Businessweek, May 26, 2006.
