Ad Wars: 'Dr. Evil' vs. Unions Over Employee Free Choice Act

By Art Levine . Posted January 21, 2009.

For years, Berman has been a front man for business and industry in campaigns against consumer safety and health promotion groups. Through his public relations firm, Berman and Company, Berman has fought unions, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and other watchdog groups in their efforts to raise awareness about childhood obesity, the minimum wage, the dangers of smoking, mad cow disease, drunk driving, and other issues. Berman runs at least 15 industry-funded front groups and projects, such as the Center for Union Facts (CUF)...

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today, "Richard Berman has become wealthy by deceiving the public through scare tactics, sleazy ads, and bogus websites. BermanExposed.org lists in one place Berman's pay-for play activities, and demonstrates that his real expertise is making money.

Before one more story is published citing Berman as a credible expert, we encourage journalists and consumers to take a look at BermanExposed.org to better understand Richard Berman's number one goal: to be the best snake-oil salesman ever."

Berman discounts the charges as "old news," especially claims that some of his groups' tax-exempt status should be revoked, and he says he's facing new attacks just because "we've gotten aggressive."

The ads supported by a variety of front groups, including the Center for Union Facts and the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, flatly claim that the new Employee Free Choice Act amendment to current law takes away the secret ballot. But when interviewed, Berman and other spokespeople offer some weasel wording: they say the bill "effectively" takes away the right to a secret ballot, invoking the myth of union intimidation. But the law explicitly retains the right to ask for a secret-ballot election, with as little as 30 percent of workers needed to ask for an election.

The new pro-union ads show what's really at stake here. Take a look:

As one ad says, featuring workers looking for change in their standard of living and protection at work:

"I hope to have some health care ... for a change," says the first worker.

"I hope to work just one job ... for a change," says another.

"I hope to be able to save a little ... for a change," says a third.

"We voted on Election Day for hope and change. Now it's time for action. The Employee Free Choice Act lets workers choose to join a union to earn better pay, health benefits and job security," the ad concludes.

What remains to be seen is whether these upbeat ads, plus new polling showing 78 percent of the public favoring the Employee Free Choice Act, overwhelming Congressional support and a new pro-union administration, can help overcome the smears and intensive lobbying orchestrated by corporate flacks like Dr. Evil, Richard Berman. So far, it looks like the votes will be there.

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