Coalition for a Democratic Workplace

The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW) is "an ad-hoc alliance of industry groups opposed to federal legislation that would make it easier for workers to unionize," the Employee Free Choice Act. "The coalition's political strategy and communications efforts are run by DC Navigators, a consulting firm that also does work for Republican politicians. Navigators explained the strategy on the firm's Web site: 'Unions lost control of the message fight; they wanted [the] fight to be a debate about [the] merits of joining a union and Navigators made it a fight about secret ballots.'"

Money and advertising
"The business umbrella group Coalition for a Democratic Workplace has committed $200 million overall to defeat" EFCA, reported the National Journal in February 2009.

"Rhonda Bentz of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, consisting of more than 500 groups opposing the bill, said they bought several million dollars in ads during the last session of Congress, and plan to spend a similar amount this year," the Associated Press reported in January 2009.

The National Journal reported that CDW "expect to spend close to $20 million, mostly on issue ads in Senate races" in 2008. CDW's goal was to maintain enough Republican seats in the Senate that Republicans could filibuster EFCA in the 111th Congress, which began in January 2009. CDW "debuted in April [2008] with a national cable-TV ad campaign," added the Journal. "The spots are the handiwork of Mike Murphy, a GOP ad maven and longtime outside adviser to John McCain. ... For other communications needs, the coalition has tapped DC Navigators, the Washington lobbying and public-affairs shop that Murphy helped to found. Navigators Vice President Rhonda Bentz, a coalition spokeswoman, says that the business effort has pulled in some contributions 'from seven-figure donors, but most are well under a million.'"

Members
National member groups include:


 * 60 Plus Association
 * Advanced Supply Chain International
 * Alliance for Worker Freedom
 * Aluminum Association
 * American Apparel & Footwear Association
 * American Bakers Association
 * American Beverage Association
 * American Conservative Union
 * American Fire Sprinkler Association
 * American Foundry Society
 * American Frozen Food Institute
 * American Health Care Association
 * American Hospital Association
 * American Hotel & Lodging Association
 * American International Automobile Dealers Association
 * American Meat Institute
 * American Mushroom Institute
 * American Nursery and Landscape Association
 * American Seniors Housing Association
 * American Shareholders Association
 * American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration
 * American Society of Employers
 * American Staffing Association
 * American Supply Association
 * American Trucking Associations
 * American Wholesale Marketers Association
 * Americans for a Limited Government
 * Americans for Prosperity
 * Americans for Tax Reform
 * AMT - The Association for Manufacturing Technology
 * API
 * Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)
 * Assisted Living Federation of America
 * Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC)
 * Associated General Contractor
 * Association of Equipment Manufacturers
 * Association of Millwork Distributors
 * Association of Washington Business
 * Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers
 * Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
 * Bearing Specialists Association
 * Brittney Inc
 * Capital Associated Industries Inc
 * Center for Freedom & Prosperity
 * Center for Individual Freedom
 * Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise
 * Citizen Outreach Project
 * College & University Professional Association for Human Resources
 * Consumer Electronics Association
 * Copper & Brass Servicenter
 * Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
 * Environmental Industry Associations
 * Federation of American Hospitals
 * FEWA-Marketing & Distribution Association
 * Food Marketing Institute
 * Forging Industry Association
 * FreedomWorks
 * Graphic Arts Association
 * Healthcare Distribution Management Association
 * Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International
 * Hispanic Alliance for Progress Institute
 * Independent Electrical Contractors Inc (IEC)
 * Independent Women's Voice
 * Industrial Fasteners Institute
 * Industrial Supply Association
 * Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute
 * International Council of Shopping Centers
 * International Foodservice Distributors Association
 * International Franchise Association
 * International Truck Parts Association
 * International Warehouse Logistics Association
 * Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association
 * Messenger Courier Association of America
 * Metals Service Center Institute
 * Modular Building Institute
 * Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
 * National Alliance for Worker & Employer Rights
 * National Armored Car Association
 * National Association of Automobile Dealers
 * National Association of Chemical Distributors
 * National Association of Home Builders
 * National Association of Manufacturers
 * National Association Of Mutual Insurance Companies
 * National Association of Sign Supply Distributors
 * National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
 * National Center for Assisted Living
 * National Council of Chain Restaurants
 * National Council of Textile Organizations
 * National Electrical Manufacturers Association
 * National Federation of Independent Business
 * National Franchisee Association
 * National Grocers Association
 * National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association
 * National Mining Association
 * National Paper Trade Association
 * National Pest Management Association
 * National Petrochemical & Refiners Association
 * National Private Duty Association
 * National Propane Gas Association
 * National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
 * National Restaurant Association
 * National Retail Federation
 * National Roofing Contractors Association
 * National School Transportation Association
 * National Small Business Association
 * National Solid Wastes Management Association
 * National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
 * National Tank Truck Carriers, Inc.
 * National Taxpayers Union
 * National Tooling & Machining Association
 * Newspaper Association of America
 * Office Products Wholesalers Association
 * Offshore Marine Service Association
 * Optical Laboratories Association
 * Petroleum Equipment Institute
 * Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association
 * Portland Cement Association
 * Precision Metalforming Association
 * Printing Industries of America
 * Property Rights Alliance
 * Public Service Research Council
 * Retail Industry Leaders Association
 * School Facility Manufacturers Association
 * Snack Food Association
 * Society of American Florists
 * Society of Human Resource Management
 * The Society of the Plastics Industry
 * Steel Manufacturers Association
 * Textile Care Allied Trades Association
 * Textile Rental Services Association of America
 * The Real Estate Roundtable
 * Tooling & Manufacturing Association
 * Truckload Carriers Association
 * U.S. Apple Association
 * U.S. Chamber of Commerce
 * U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
 * U.S. Human Recourses and Ethics Services
 * Uniform and Textile Service Association
 * United Motorcoach Association
 * Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association

Local and state member groups, which are listed on CDW's website, include local chapters of the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) and Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC); groups representing owners of restaurants, hotels and other local businesses; and local chambers of commerce and industry lobby groups like Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.

Contact information
Coalition for a Democratic Workplace 901 7th Street NW, 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 202-580-7289 Website: http://www.myprivateballot.com

Related SourceWatch articles

 * AFL-CIO
 * Agriculture for a Democratic Workplace
 * Center for Union Facts
 * Employee Free Choice Act
 * Employee Freedom Action Committee
 * Front groups
 * National Right to Work Committee
 * Rick Berman
 * U.S. Chamber of Commerce
 * Workforce Fairness Institute

External articles

 * Bill Samuel (director of legislation at the AFL-CIO), "What's in a name," The Hill, May 23, 2007.
 * Marc Ambinder, "The Daily Five: All Labor Edition (Almost)," The Atlantic blog, April 1, 2008.
 * "Coalition for a Democratic Workplace Exposed," American Rights at Work, April 24, 2008.
 * Steven Greenhouse, "Bill Easing Unionizing Is Under Heavy Attack," New York Times, January 8, 2009.