Business Group Uses Attack Ads
Yesterday the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced a new $1 million television ad campaign in Colorado and four other states to oppose "card check" legislation in Congress that would change the rules for workers to unionize.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been aggressively running anti-consumer, anti-rights ads to serve its business membership for the past eight years. This is the same type of biased mis-information seen frequently during the 2008 campaign season. The U.S. Chamber's new ads opposing the "Employee Free Choice Act" are running in Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Virginia. Meanwhile, radio spots are running in Alaska and South Dakota.
The bill being attacked would allow workers to form a union local at their workplace if a majority signs union-authorization card, sidestepping the existing requirement that a secret-ballot election also be held. The measure is a high priority for labor unions, but vehemently opposed by many business groups. Labor says existing rules allow businesses managers too much of an opportunity to pressure workers not to form a union; businesses said the card-check bill would unfairly tilt the scales toward unions.
The U.S. Chamber hopes to sway public opinion on the measure with the misleading ads before Congress take up the matter.