Moving the Message to Win

Paycheck Deception and Right to Work

0

20

40

60

80

71 6965

59

4842

5 6 12 15

31 30

Favorable Unfavorable

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.

Agree DisagreeNet

Difference

Total 86% 10% +76

White 86% 11% +75

Comm of Color 90% 6% +84

WM 86% 12% +74

WF 85% 10% +75

Dem 95% 3% +92

GOP 78% 18% +60

Indep 85% 11% +74

Non-Union HH 84% 12% +72

Union HH 95% 4% +91

Agree DisagreeNet

Difference

Total 69% 26% +43

White 64% 30% +34

Comm of Color 85% 14% +71

WM 63% 33% +30

WF 65% 27% +38

Dem 86% 12% +74

GOP 49% 46% +3

Indep 72% 23% +49

Non-Union HH 65% 30% +35

Union HH 83% 13% +70

Public employees should be allowed to unionize.

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 FormThis 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.

Unfair and unbalanced

MisleadingBillionaire 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

Hidden agenda that hurts people like you/the middle class

Not what it seems Exemption

Loophole

Won’t fix what’s broken in our state

Corporate power grab

Gives secretive Super PACs even more power

Words That Work!

Messaging Right to Work

Total Union HH Non-Union HH0

20

40

60

54

45

56

35

49

31

116

12

Favor

Oppose

Undecided

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?

A majority (54%) favors RTW after a brief description, including an only slightly better than 1:1 opposition among labor households.

Right to Work

Wrong for the middle class

Would end labor unions as we know them

Too complicated and controversial

The wrong priority right now

Gives employees more freedom in the workplace

0 20 40 60

43

41

40

35

37

41

41

44

45

49

Very well + Pretty well Not too well + Not well at all

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”.

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.

Messaging Right to Work

 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

Anti Right To Work Messaging

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.”

These arguments were less effective than top-performing messages and need to be taken out of our arsenal.

Two Messages That Fell flat

0

20

40

60

80

5448 45 42

5651

3543

4954

3139

Favor

Oppose

After voters hear several reasons to oppose RTW, support falls under 50%.

Replicating Anti Right To Work Communication

Top Messages% Much More Likely All Union

HHRTW

MoversWhite

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

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.

Pro-RTW Messaging

RTW isn’t what it seems. It’s wrong for all workersand 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 makes us all less safe.

Right To Work is a confusing, complicated and controversial proposal that is wrong for workers and wrong for the middle class

1.Hit the Pause Button2.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`

Four Point Narrative

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

• 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

Our Villains

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 classControversialComplicatedConfusing

Backed by CEOs who care more about profits than workers who create themHurts the middle classPolitically motivatedThe Wrong Priority

Jeff Mazur, Lessons from Missouri

Molly Maloney, Lessons from New Hampshore