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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 s ervice” matters.
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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.
Americans strongly agree with the principles behind collective bargaining and organizing. Workers should have the right to collectively bargain for wage increases. Public employees should be allowed to unionize.
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.
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 Gives secretive Super PACs even more power Won’t fix what’s broken in our state Misleading Billionaire businessmen will be able to write their own rules Limits the voice of our everyday heroes to speak out on issues that affect us all Corporate power grab Loophole Hidden agenda that hurts people like you/the middle class Unfair and unbalanced
Right to Work A majority (54%) favors RTW after a brief description, including an only slightly better than 1:1 opposition among labor households.
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”.
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%.
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.
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 expense of the middle class. The corporate interests want to fool you, but RTW means less freedom for workers, not more. RTW isn’t what it seems. 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, multi-national 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 Our Villains Middle class Who We Are Struggling Frustrated Worried Just getting by Insecure Underemployed America is powered by the middle class MY job, MY retirement, MY struggles • 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 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
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 Words that Move the Message
Jeff Mazur, Lessons from MissouriMolly Maloney, Lessons from New Hampshore
