What's in a name?


A union-busting ballot initiative, which will very likely appear on the fall ballot, is being sold to Californians as "paycheck protection".

Now, I think "paycheck protection" is a pretty snazzy name.

It implies that the measure will help union members keep dollars that the greedy union would otherwise have grabbed (even though it doesn't; the measure doesn't stop unions from collecting dues automatically from paychecks, just from spending the money in certain ways).

It doesn't imply that the measure will rob union members of something far more valuable than money. If the initiative passes, unions won't be able to use their dues for political purposes without the consent of individual union members. Union members, in turn, will lose one of the major ways that their unions protect their rights and guarantee safe working conditions: by lobbying the government and participating in political campaigns.

So...what do we call it? Using the term "paycheck protection" is a little piece of propaganda for the other side every time we open our mouths. We need a spin name for the initiative that makes it sound every bit as bad as it is.

Ideas...?

Posted: Wed - May 18, 2005 at 12:17 PM   | Category:     |   |   | |


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