Washington, D.C. – Sunday, the Center for Union Facts (CUF) aired a high-profile television ad in Washington, D.C. promoting the Employee Rights Act (ERA) during the Super Bowl. The ad airs as labor law reforms are being advanced from Minnesota to Indiana, where Governor Mitch Daniels enacted legislation fast-tracked to prevent disruptive union-organized protests and threats to “Occupy” the Super Bowl.
The ad depicts a group of union members complaining about the dues coming out of their paychecks, and trying to figure out whom among them actually voted for the union. It turns out, the ad reveals, that none of the workers currently subjected to the union’s rules had actually voted for the union.
“An overwhelming number of employees in private sector unions have never had a say in whether or not to join the union they’re in,” said CUF Executive Director Rick Berman.
In addition to requiring secret ballot elections for unionization and recertification, the ERA guarantees paycheck protection. Current labor law allows unions to trap workers as cash cows, using their dues to fund the campaigns of elected officials who ensure the scheme remains legal. Meanwhile, less than 10 percent of employees in private sector unions have actually voted to join their union.
In addition to airing the ad, CUF is educating the public with the launch of www.EmployeeRightsAct.com and the release of the results of a poll conducted by ORC International on CUF’s behalf. The poll shows strong support in both union and non-union households for measures in the bill, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and U.S. Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC). Eighty-three percent of union households, for example, agreed that workers should have the right to an election every three years to determine if they still want union representation.
To see the polling data or speak with a CUF representative, you can reach Michael Moroney at 202-463-7106 or by email at Moroney@unionfacts.com. To view the ad, visit www.EmployeeRightsAct.com.
The Center for Union Facts is a non-profit organization supported by foundations, businesses, union members, and the general public. We are dedicated to showing Americans the facts about today’s union leadership.
(Press Release by The Center for Union Facts)
