Workforce Fairness Institute

The Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI) describes itself as "an organization committed to educating voters, employers, employees and citizens about issues affecting the workplace."

WFI's website lists among its "allied groups" the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, Rick Berman's Center for Union Facts, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business.

On the Employee Free Choice Act
WFI claims that the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) "does away with a bedrock in our democracy -- the secret ballot -- exposing workers to intimidation and coercion."

In November 2008, the National Journal reported that WFI "has been doing grassroots work in 16 states for about six months," in opposition to EFCA. "The institute, sources say, is looking to raise about $10 million and has the backing of several big retailers."

WFI's Mark McKinnon said of EFCA, "This is a plan to take over American business and pose federal bureaucrats so they can arbitrate contracts, take away the secret ballot -- an American tradition, though it is sacred for us -- so that they can add 20 million people to the labor rolls in America, and jack up the cost of labor, of benefits, of salaries so that we'll be non -- we won't be competitive. We'll lose more jobs, and it will be an incredible burden on American business."

After former Congresswoman Hilda Solis was confirmed as U.S. Labor Secretary, WFI's McKinnon commented, "What is particularly troubling is that Rep. Solis would stand by EFCA, even though ... EFCA is anti-democratic and not what workers and businesses need in these hard economic times."

McKinnon remarked on Glenn Beck's FOX program, "Labor is just an antiquated notion anymore of global economy. It's all about competition. And all the labor does is it drives up the cost. Why do we have American carmakers that are going out of business and foreign carmakers in America that are doing well? ... It costs $1,600 more for car on average to buy an American car. So, in this economy or any economy -- why would anybody buy an American car?"

Funding
Neil Golub, CEO of the Golub Corporation, "has raised millions of dollars from the industry for The Workforce Fairness Institute, one of the main coalitions working to defeat" EFCA, reported the States News Service in January 2009. When asked by the New York Times, WFI's Mark McKinnon "would not say which companies are financing the institute, founded by several longtime Republican operatives."

On its website WFI states that it "is funded by and advocates on behalf of business owners who enjoy good working relationships with their employees, and would like to maintain those good relationships without the unfair interference of government bureaucrats, union organizers and special interests."

Personnel

 * Katie Packer Executive Director
 * Mark McKinnon
 * Barbara Comstock
 * Danny Diaz

The Workforce Fairness Institute "employs Former Bush ad man Mark McKinnon, former White House Political Director Sara Taylor, Mitt Romney aides Barbara Comstock and Katie Packer, powerhouse conservative PR firm CRC, GOP Web gurus Patrick Ruffini, Mindy Finn and Patrick Hynes and former RNC Communications Director [Danny] Diaz," reported Politico.com.

Barbara Comstock is a founding partner of the Corallo Comstock public relations and lobbying firm, which counts the National Association of Broadcasters and -- until January 2009 -- the Hearst Corporation among its clients.

Contact details
Email: info AT workforcefairness.com Phone: 202-828-8397 Website: http://www.workforcefairness.com/

Related SourceWatch articles

 * AFL-CIO
 * Agriculture for a Democratic Workplace
 * Alliance to Save Main Street Jobs
 * Center for Union Facts
 * Coalition for a Democratic Workplace
 * Employee Free Choice Act
 * Employee Freedom Action Committee
 * Front groups
 * National Right to Work Committee
 * Rick Berman
 * U.S. Chamber of Commerce

External articles

 * Barbara Comstock, editorial: "Big Labor Power Grab," Washington Times, October 27, 2008.
 * Ben Smith, "Union bill creates jobs—for GOP ops", Politico, March 9, 2009.
 * Holly Rosenkrantz, "Union bills to go before lawmakers: Legislation making it easier to form a union will be introduced in the House and Senate", Denver Post, March 10, 2009. (This is a Bloomberg story).
 * "Fox News allowed Diaz to criticize EFCA without noting his affiliation with group opposing it", Media Matters of America, March 10, 2009.
 * "Fox's Wilson aired economist's attacks on EFCA without noting her study's industry funding", Media Matters of America, March 10, 2009.