Transcript ADD TITLE HERE - AFSCME 41st International Convention

Moving the Message to
Win
Paycheck Deception and Right to Work
Voters have a much more favorable impression of specific types of workers
(home healthcare, child care, public service workers) than they do of more
broadly defined labor unions. “Public service” matters.
80
Favorable
71
69
60
Unfavorable
65
59
48
40
42
31
20
5
6
12
30
15
0
Home
healthcare
workers
Child care
workers
Public service
Public
workers
employees
Labor Unions
Public
employee
unions
Americans strongly agree with the principles
behind collective bargaining and organizing.
Workers should have the right to
collectively bargain for wage
increases.
Agree
Disagree
Net
Difference
Total
86%
10%
+76
White
86%
11%
Comm of Color
90%
WM
Public employees should be
allowed to unionize.
Agree
Disagree
Net
Difference
Total
69%
26%
+43
+75
White
64%
30%
+34
6%
+84
Comm of Color
85%
14%
+71
86%
12%
+74
WM
63%
33%
+30
WF
85%
10%
+75
WF
65%
27%
+38
Dem
95%
3%
+92
Dem
86%
12%
+74
GOP
78%
18%
+60
GOP
49%
46%
+3
Indep
85%
11%
+74
Indep
72%
23%
+49
Non-Union HH
84%
12%
+72
Non-Union HH
65%
30%
+35
Union HH
95%
4%
+91
Union HH
83%
13%
+70
Paycheck Deception
Our Frame
Not what it seems
and certainly not a
balanced
approach
Gives too much
power to secretive
Super PACs,
making it even
easier for
billionaire
businessmen and
corporate special
interests to rig the
system and write
their own rules
While unions
representing
teachers, nurses
and firefighters
would be
weakened—
meaning union
members have
less of a voice on
things that matter
to us all
The result? An
even more
unbalanced
system where
regular people like
you have even less
power in the
political process.
That’s a step in
the wrong
direction.
Top Messages ALL Point to the Fact That the Measure Lets the Powerful Off the
Hook, While Making it Even Harder for the Middle Class to Be Heard
To really fix the broken system in our state, we need real reform that brings transparency,
accountability and gets the secret money out of politics…we should limit the power of Super PACs
from collecting unlimited donations from wealthy and corporate donors who get to remain
anonymous. But this initiative does exactly the opposite…
Super PACs can raise unlimited amounts of money to spend on candidates and initiatives…making
them powerful players in the political system. As written, this initiative does nothing to lessen the
influence of secretive Super PACs. Instead, its carefully crafted exemptions could leave them as the
only groups with power.
Corporate special interests carved out a loophole so they can spend unlimited funds funds on
politicians and issues they support. Corporations already outspend unions by more than 15 to 1 in
elections…Real campaign finance reform is about transparency and getting money out of the
system, not rigging it even more for the already powerful.
This measure is just another attack on teachers and other union members—dressed up as phony
campaign finance reform. While it silences their ability to have a strong voice in the political
process, it contains huge loopholes that allow big corporations to make unlimited contributions to
ballot measures, to lobby to influence the process and to Super PACs that support candidates.
Language Differences that Move the
Message
WORDS THAT WORK BETTER:
WORDS THAT DON’T WORK AS WELL RIGHT
NOW:
A reform that won’t really solve our state’s problems
(net well margin +18)
Makes a broken system even worse
(net well margin -7)
Not what it seems
(net well margin +15)
Misleading
(net well margin +9)
Has a hidden agenda that hurts people like you
(net well margin +14)
Hurts us all
(net well margin +4)
A corporate power grab
(net well margin +12)
A deceptive corporate power grab
(net well margin +6)
Message Narrative, Longer Form
This measure isn’t what it seems, and it won’t solve our state’s problems.
Because of its loopholes and exemptions, corporations, millionaires and billionaires will be
able to get around this initiative, funneling unlimited money anonymously into Super PACs
with no transparency, no accountability, no checks or balances.
Real campaign finance reform is about transparency, accountability, and getting the
unlimited secret money out of the system—not rigging it even more for the already
powerful. Yet, as written, this initiative does nothing to lessen the influence of secretive
Super PACs that can take unlimited contributions from anonymous donors. Instead, its
carefully crafted exemptions could leave them as the only groups with power.
And while SuperPACs gain power, this initiative restricts contributions from union
members, limiting the voices of our everyday heroes – our teachers, our local nurses and
the firefighters who keep us safe. It takes away their ability to speak out on issues that
matter to us all like cuts to our schools and colleges, police and fire response times,
workplace safety, consumer protections, and unfair corporate tax giveaways.
Don’t give the billionaires and corporate special interests even more power to write their own
set of rules.
Words That Work!
Not what it seems
Exemption
Won’t fix what’s broken
in our state
Gives secretive Super
PACs even more power
Misleading
Limits the voice of our
everyday heroes to
speak out on issues that
affect us all
Billionaire businessmen
will be able to write
their own rules
Corporate power grab
Hidden agenda that hurts people
like you/the middle class
Unfair and unbalanced
Loophole
Messaging Right to
Work
Right to Work
A majority (54%) favors RTW after a brief description, including an only
slightly better than 1:1 opposition among labor households.
60
As you may know, ‘Right to Work’ laws would mean that employers and employees cannot negotiate a contract
that would require employees to pay into unions as a condition of employment. Right to Work Laws mean that
even if a majority of workers vote to form a union, employees can opt out of paying dues and still receive the same
representation as union workers. Hearing this, do you favor or oppose right to work laws?
56
54
45
40
49
Favor
Oppose
Undecided
35
31
20
12
11
6
0
Total
Union HH
Non-Union HH
Nearly half of voters feel RTW will give employees more freedom in the workplace,
though pluralities also feel it is the “wrong priority” and “complicated and
controversial”.
Very well + Pretty well
Gives employees more freedom in the
workplace
Not too well + Not well at all
49
37
45
The wrong priority right now
35
44
Too complicated and controversial
40
Would end labor unions as we know
them
41
41
41
43
Wrong for the middle class
0
20
40
60
Messaging Right to Work
RTW isn’t what it
seems. It’s just another
attempt by CEOs and
corporate interests to
end unions as we
know them so they can
tip the balance even
more in their favor at
the expense of the
middle class.
RTW makes us all less
safe. RTW would make
it harder for police,
firefighters, and nurses
to do their jobs – taking
away their rights to
negotiate for life-saving
equipment and
necessary staffing
levels.
RTW means less
freedom for workers,
not more. Real
freedom is attending a
parent-teacher
conference or taking a
sick family member to
the doctor without
being punished by your
employer.
RTW is a confusing,
complicated and
controversial proposal
that is wrong for
workers and wrong for
the middle class.
Anti Right To Work Messaging
Top Messages
% Much Less Likely
All
Union
HH
RTW
Movers
These laws make CEOs richer and workers poorer. The middle class is struggling and
too many people are falling behind. The corporate special interests pushing these laws
are moving full-time workers to part-time to avoid paying benefits, are shipping jobs
overseas, and offshoring their profits to avoid paying taxes.
38
45
46
Everyday across this country, firefighters and first responders put their lives on the line
to keep us safe. These laws would make it harder for them to do their jobs and could
threaten the lives of those in a fire or emergency. These laws take away the right to
negotiate for life-saving equipment and the manpower to do their jobs, and take safety
decisions out of the hands of first responders and give them to politicians and corporate
CEOs.
36
40
41
Politically-connected billionaires and their secretive super PACs spent over four hundred
million dollars in the last election. These corporate special interests want right-to-work
laws to pass because it makes it easier for them to cut employee benefits, fire workers
at will, and roll back health and safety laws that keep workers safe.
35
43
39
These laws will silence the voices of everyday heroes like firefighters, nurses, and other
first responders who keep us safe. Lives could be lost in fires and emergencies,
because these laws make it harder to negotiate for emergency equipment, necessary
staffing levels, and shorter response times.
33
32
39
Big corporations already spend nineteen times more on politics than labor unions – and
these laws would only give corporations a bigger advantage. The politicians pushing
these laws are joining forces with multinational corporations that are down-sizing,
shipping jobs overseas, and offshoring their profits to avoid paying taxes.
33
38
41
Two Messages That Fell flat
These arguments were less effective than top-performing messages and
need to be taken out of our arsenal.
Freeloader/fair share:
“This lawsuit could give handouts to freeloaders, who get the benefits of a union without
having to pay membership dues. It is not fair to the millions of union members who pay their
share in dues to secure good wages and benefits.”
“Across America, millions of union members pay their fair share so they can negotiate for good
wages and benefits to support their families. But this lawsuit could give handouts to
freeloaders, who get the benefits of a union without paying membership dues. This lawsuit is
not fair to working Americans”
Pointed attacks on corporate spending:
“Outsiders are using lawsuits like these to try and limit the voice of American workers. Special
interest groups and corporate CEOs spend hundreds of millions to file lawsuits and run political
ads to destroy unions in America.”
Replicating Anti Right To Work Communication
After voters hear several reasons to oppose RTW, support falls under 50%.
80
Favor
Oppose
60
54
48
40
43
45
54
49
56
51
42
35
39
31
20
0
Initial Vote
Post RTW Negs
Initial Vote
Union HH
Post RTW Negs
Union HH
Initial Vote NonUnion HH
Post RTW Negs
Non-Union HH
Pro-RTW Messaging
RTW supporters’ basic “freedom” message does have potency, highlighting the need for our side to
take back the value of freedom to where it rightfully belongs.
Top Messages
% Much More Likely
All
Union
HH
RTW
Movers
White
Movers
Right to work laws are about a worker’s right and freedom to choose whether or not
they want to join a union. Workers should not be forced to join and financially
support a union in their workplace, in order to keep their job. These laws will put an
end to forced union membership.
35
26
34
33
Middle class workers are struggling to make ends meet and should not be forced to
pay union dues. Passing right to work laws means that a worker can do their job and
have more money to take home each paycheck.
32
28
35
35
With right to work laws, workers will still be able to bargain for higher wages, better
workplace safety, and fair retirement. These laws protect workers and make sure
that they are not fired if they fail to pay union dues.
32
30
34
31
Unions are nothing more than political groups with their own agenda. Labor union
bosses force workers to join, automatically deduct dues from their paycheck without
consent, and use this money to support their political agenda. Right to work laws
will stop forced handouts and will give money back to workers who decide not to join
a union.
30
20
30
31
Right To Work is a confusing, complicated and controversial
proposal that is wrong for workers and wrong for the middle class
RTW isn’t what it seems. It’s just
another attempt by CEOs and
corporate interests to end
unions as we know them so
they can tip the balance even
more in their favor at the
RTW isn’t
expense of
what it seems.
the middle class.
The corporate interests want to
fool you, but RTW means less
freedom for workers, not more.
It’s wrong for all workers
and for the Middle Class
RTW makes us all less safe.
Four Point Narrative
1.Hit the Pause Button
2.Name the villain
-Out of touch corporate CEOs who are more focused on profits than the workers who
create them are pushing RTW
-They are pushing RTW because it benefits them (corporate special interest, multinational corporations, out-of-touch CEO) not working families
-They want to use RTW to turn full-time jobs with competitive benefits into part-time
positions with no benefits
3.Identify consequences
-Makes it easier for CEOs to ship American jobs overseas
-Puts more of the tax burden on the middle class through special interest-corporate tax breaks
-Lets CEOs cut health and safety protections and eliminates protections for whistleblowers
-Limits the rights and silences the voices of heroes like firefighters, nurses and teachers
4.Offer alternative`
Define freedom on our terms and in voters’ own
words
• Workers deserve real rights and real freedom – the
freedom to attend a parent-teacher conference or
take our parents to the doctor without being punished
by your employer
• We need the freedom to have a voice at work
without fear of retaliation
Language primer: how to reference key players in the
narrative
Middle class
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Struggling
Frustrated
Worried
Just getting by
Insecure
Underemployed
America is
powered by the
middle class
• MY job, MY
retirement, MY
struggles
Who We Are
• Everyday heroes we
trust to keep us safe
• Struggling middle
class who work hard
and play by the rules
• Millions of Americans
who have joined
together to have their
voices heard
• Organizations who
help people come
together; offer
strength in numbers
Our Villains
• Corporations that hire part-time workers
to avoid paying benefits
• Corporations that engage in constant
downsizing putting more responsibilities
on those who stay while constantly
reminding them that “they are lucky to
have a job.”
• Overpaid and out of touch CEOs who
care more about their bonuses than the
workers who made the profits possible
• CEOs who treat their workers like a
number who can be easily replaced,
instead of a person who contributes to
the success and who has a family to
support
• CEOs too intent on making money and
taking credit
• Billionaire Koch brothers who have
spent over $100 million to gut our
environmental health and safety laws
Key Lessons We’ve Learned
• Members First! Whenever possible utilize a
member as a spokesperson for media, digital
correspondence, mail, etc.
• Don’t use their words or attempt to “soundbyte” or
“catch phrase” the other sides message like
describing “Right to Work” as “Right to Work for
Less”
• Don’t use Labor lingo or insider language
• Focus on the real life effects of unions
Words that Move the
Message
Wrong for workers, wrong for the middle class
Controversial
Complicated
Confusing
Backed by CEOs who care more about profits than
workers who create them
Hurts the middle class
Politically motivated
The Wrong Priority
Jeff Mazur, Lessons from
Missouri
Molly Maloney, Lessons
from New Hampshore