Transcript Slide 1

Right to Work Speakers Bureau Training
Welcome
10/09/2007
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The National Landscape
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What is Right to Work?
“Right to Work laws make it illegal for unions
to collect fees for services that the law requires
them to provide.”
RTW laws state that a worker can get all the
benefits of having a union without having to pay
any dues or agency fees. RTW forces unions to
spend resources and members’ dues dollars on
“free riders.” This weakens the union, collective
bargaining and the contract.
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What is Right to Work?
Federal law
already protects workers who don’t want to be
members of a union, but
everyone must pay their share of negotiating and
administering the
contract - that’s just fair.
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What is Right to Work?
Workers in states with so-called
“right to work”laws have a consistently lower
quality of life than in other states.
Lower wages, higher poverty and less
access to health care, according to data from the
U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S.
CensusBureau.
Why should Michigan adopt a losing “right
to work” strategy that lowers the standard of
living for workers and their families?
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Who is behind RTW in Michigan?
Dick and Betsy DeVos
Republican Senator Mike Bishop
Republican Senator Nancy Cassis
Republican Rep Jack Hoogendyk
The Detroit Newspapers, primarily
The Detroit News
David Brandon, CEO Domino’s Pizza
Brooks Patterson, Oakland County Executive
Nolan Finley, Editor Detroit News
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
•
UNION DIVIDE, PART 1
Labor bosses don't share workers' pain
In tough times, leaders still gain as workers lose ground
Mike Wilkinson and Ron French / The Detroit News
Michigan news papers are acting just like the
Okalahoma Statesman
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Who is behind RTW in Michigan?
The largest conservative state-level policy think-tank
in the nation. The Michigan-based organization
promotes right wing ultra free market policies on a
wide range of issues and espouses limited
government principles. In the last few years, the
center has received grants from:
•Sarah Scaife Foundation
•Roe Foundation
•Ruth and Lovett Peters Foundation
•Rodney Fund
•Orville D. and Ruth A. Merillat Foundation
•JM Foundation
•Earhart Foundation
•Charles G. Koch Foundation
•Walton Family Foundation
•Dick and Betsy Devos Foundation
•Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
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Who is behind RTW nationally?
Tom DeLay
Indicted Former U.S. Congressman & House
Majority Leader
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Who is behind RTW nationally?
The Walton Family Foundation
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Who is behind RTW nationally?
Holland Coors of the Coors Beer Dynasty
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Who is behind RTW
nationally?
Grover Norquist,
The Alliance for Worker Freedom
Americans for Tax Reform
New Orleans, Louisianan A Right to Work State
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Who is behind RTW
nationally?
Center for Union Facts
Headed by Rick Berman
www.unionfacts.com
Last year, $5 million ad
campaign against Labor
including print/tv/radio ran
ads in Michigan, Montana,
& Oregon (RTW targets)
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Who is behind RTW nationally?
Est. in 1955, 250+ employees, 11 attorneys, claim 2.2 million members
Lobbying arm – spent more than $2 million annually to push Congress to enact RTW bills,
National Center for Policy Analysis/Heritage Foundation
Council for National Policy
Public Service Research Council/Public Service Research
Foundation
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What do Michiganians think about RTW?
If the vote were held today
49% supports RTW
40% opposes
11% are undecided
Greenberg Quinlan July30-August 6, 2007
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What do Michigan union members think about
RTW?
If the vote were held today
21% supports RTW
67% opposes
12% are undecided
Greenberg Quinlan July30-August 6, 2007
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What do Union household think about
RTW?
30% supports RTW
60% opposes
10% are undecided
Greenberg Quinlan July30-August 6, 2007
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Do you believe Michigan workers should or
should not change its law so individuals workers
can decide whether or not to pay dues?
56% Should change the Law
35% Should not change the law
9% Undecided
Gallup Organization 09/01/2006
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How would Michigan Vote?
62% of likely Michigan voters support the basic
idea of RTW.
59% said they would vote in favor of a proposal
to make Michigan a RTW state.
EPIC-MRA June 10-13, 2007
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The Oklahoma Experience
Oklahomans for No on 695
The 2001 Campaign to Defeat
Right-to-Work in Oklahoma
(The last state to go RTW)
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The Oklahoma Experience
Strategy
•
•
•
•
•
High Labor Turnout in a Low Turnout Election
500,000 Turnout Projection
Win Labor (80-80-80) and make labor 20% of turnout
Short Public Campaign – 4 to 5 weeks
Never refer to as “Right-to-Work,” only as State Question
695
• Where we Started
All voters: 57% Yes
32% No
Union HH: 21% Yes
71% No
September 11th - 2 Weeks Out
Why it all changed
• 9/11 Terror Attack - all go off air
The Oklahoma Experience
Final GOTV
1,100 canvassers on Election Day
3,750 canvassers total
134,786 completed calls
41,266 No Votes Identified
190,000 GOTV call universe
• Knocked on 60,000 Doors over weekend
• Knocked on all walkable union doors twice
on election day
The Oklahoma Experience
Election Results
• Yes Vote
• No Vote
• Total Turnout
447,072
378,465
825,537
(Projected turn out at the start of the campaign was 500,000)
• Labor 15% of 2001 Vote
(Labor is only 6% of the total work force)
The Oklahoma Experience
80-80-80
Goal
Result
Registration
80%
86% 
Turnout
80%
88% 
Support
80%
90% 
Source: Lake 9/01
The Oklahoma Experience
Union Support
No
Yes
Margin
Union Households*
86%
14%
+72%
African American
78%
22%
+56%
Democratic Women
81%
19%
+62%
Democratic Men
70%
30%
+40%
*Includes OEA
Source: Lake 9/01
The Oklahoma Experience
Up Against a Daily Drumbeat of AntiUnion Attacks
• Governor’s #1 priority
• Oklahoma Statesman Newspaper hammering
the issue
• National Right-to-Work Committee will spend
millions
• Other right wing extremist organizations will pour
in millions more
• Opponents on air 6 weeks before election day
with first $1 million
The Oklahoma Experience
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating
25th Governor of Oklahoma
Gov. Frank Keating received the National Right-to-Work Committee's
Statesman of the Year award.
In the commercial aired just days
prior to the vote, Frank told viewers
It was patriotic to vote and he
would personally be voting for RTW.
This created the impression among
voters, that voting for RTW was an
act of patriotism.
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Lessons from Oklahoma
• What to Repeat in Michigan
– Strong Internal Program
• Voter Registration
• Good Union Buy-In
• Membership outreach and education is critical
• What to Change
– Better community coalitions
– Have 1 convener like the State AFL-CIO
– START EARLIER
Why Michigan Could Be Different
• Larger union density means more Union votes
– Oklahoma: 6%
– Michigan: 20%
• Larger African American base: 14%
• Working America
– Open 2 Offices to house canvassers
– Goal: 150,000 additional members by 11/4/08
The Michigan Labor Movement
MUST
Maximize These Advantages!
Labor’s Plan to Defeat RTW
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#1 EDUCATE OUR MEMBERS
Worker to Worker flyers in the worksites monthly
Sept., Oct., Nov.,Dec.
Articles in every Labor newsletter
monthly
Letters from LU presidents to members
Monthly speech material
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SEPTEMBER: 1st. person stories of value of my Union
Message:
Media:
Locals:
Radio continues week of Labor Day, all
Labor Day parades move message
Newsletter articles, speakers available
for all membership meetings/events,
participate in focus groups
OCTOBER:
1st. person stories of working non-union
and/or in RTW states
Letters to editor on message
Newsletter articles, speakers available
for all membership meetings/events,
flyer available
Message:
Media:
Locals:
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NOVEMBER:
The big picture - national right wing
Message:
agenda Letters to editor - who is
Media:
behind R TW Newsletter articles,
Locals
speakers available for all membership
meetings/events
DECEMBER:
Comparison stats on RTW vs Union
Message:
states Letters to editor on message
Media:
Newsletter articles, speakers
Locals:
available for all membership
meetings/events, President's letter
out to members
Jan. thru Nov.8th. Full Blown ballot campaign
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#2 EDUCATE OUR FRIENDS
Letters to the editor on the value of unions
Outreach to union friendly employers
Mail out information to the state’s Democrats
Mail out information to coalition groups
Enviromental, Womens, Civil Rights,
Farmers and Religious Community
Involve our Union Constituency groups
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#3 LABOR’S SPEAKERS BUREAU
Goal - 300 trained member to member speakers
Fall 2007
(Currently 200 are trained)
Training at all Central Labor Councils Fall 2007
Presentations to all Local Union meetings,
trainings and conferences
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#4 MOBILIZING MEMBERS
Using State Legislative Bills to mobilize
members
Call and write your legislator
Begin preparing for a ballot signature campaign
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Next step for all of us
Worker to Worker outreach in worksites
Speaking at CLCs and Local Union Meetings
Speak to family and friends
Information to Local Unions
I.D. and inform constituency Groups
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Talking to members about Right to Work - Skills
practice
•What is RTW?
•Why is RTW bad for Michigan?
•The facts - state comparisons?
•Who is really behind RTW?
•RTW: Fairness vs. Free Riders?
Right to Work for Less
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What is RTW?
RTW laws state that a worker can get all the benefits of
having a union without having to pay any dues or agency
fees.
RTW forces unions to spend resources and members’ dues
dollars on “free riders.”
This weakens the union ,collective bargaining and the
contract.
Federal law already protects workers who don’t want to be
members of a union, but everyone must pay their share of
negotiating and administering the contract - that’s just fair.
Right to Work for Less
Jk:uawlocal760aflcio
Why is RTW bad for Michigan?
The average worker in a RTW state makes $5,900
less per year.
Workers in non RTW states are more likely to have
health benefits.
The rate of workplace fatalities is 44% higher in
RTW states.
RTW states have higher poverty and infant mortality.
RTW states spend $2,260 less per pupil on K-12
education.
Workers’ comp benefits are lower in RTW states.
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Who is really behind RTW?
The right wing interests behind RTW want to further
eliminate the middle class and concentrate even more
wealth to the richest 1% in the country.
The National Right to Work Committee is funded by big
multinational corporations and insurance companies.
Here in Michigan the Mackinac Center, a right wing think
tank has distributed numerous studies and papers to
newspapers, TV and radio.
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RTW: Fairness vs. Free Riders?
"Right-to-work" laws just aren't fair to duespaying members. If a nonunion
worker is fired illegally, the union must use its
time and money to defend him or
her, even if that requires going through a costly
arbitration process. Amazingly,
nonmembers can even sue the union if they
think it has not represented them well
enough.
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Starting Yesterday:
Message Education: Monthly Worker to Worker flyers will
go into every worksite and we will try to reach every member
Voter Registration: We will do an October 2007 and a March
2008 campaign and outreach to registered members. In Oklahoma
they reached 92% membership registration!
Build coalitions : include an education component
We are close to winning this effort if we reach all of
our members and their households.
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What you can do
1. Log on to www.aflcio.org
2. Begin voter ID of union households
3. Worker to worker flyers distributed via affiliates
network
4. Articles in local news letters
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