The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : NY23 EXCLUSIVE: Hoffman Campaign Seeks 'Boots On the Ground' vs. ACORN

Text Size

The Spectacle Blog

NY23 EXCLUSIVE: Hoffman Campaign Seeks 'Boots On the Ground' vs. ACORN

By Robert Stacy McCain on 10.25.09 @ 4:01PM

The crucial Nov. 3 special election in upstate New York features two candidaties -- liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava and Democrat Bill Owens -- connected to the Working Families Party (WFP) which is the New York political arm of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

On New York's multi-party ballot, Scozzafava previously ran in New York on the WFP line (a distinction she shared with Al Gore in 2000, John Kerry in 2004 and with Barack Obama in 2008). In this three-way congressional election, however, the WFP is going with Democrat Bill Owens.

That makes Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman the only one seeking the 23rd District seat who isn't connected to ACORN. Hoffman is also the only candidate in the race who doesn't have Big Labor connections. While most unions are backing the Democrat, Scozzafava enjoys support from many local unions because her husband, Ron McDougall, is president of the area's organized labor council. (McDougall has also contributed to WFP.)

The unions "don't want Doug Hoffman in there because he's against card check," a Hoffman campaign source said, referring to the Conservative candidate's opposition to the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, which would deprive workers of the secret ballot in union organizing votes.

With both Big Labor and ACORN working to defeat the Conservative -- who is also being attacked by the national GOP Establishment -- Hoffman's campaign is sending out a nationwide call for volunteers to help match the "community organizers" being brought into the 23rd District by his major-party opponents.

"We need boots on the ground," said the Hoffman campaign source. "We need to push back."

Hoffman penned an op-ed column in today's New York Post identifying himself with Americans who "have had enough," describing his campaign as "a battle that has been joined by current and former elected Republican officials, conservative activists and members of the ever-growing Tea Party and 9/12 movements."

When I visited the Plattsburgh, N.Y., office of the Hoffman campaign Friday, about 70 volunteers had turned out for an organizational meeting. Among those were two local volunteers, Jeremy Kain and Tony Maglione, who talked about the campaign and the need for more volunteers to help in the final push to Nov. 3:

View all comments (10) | Leave a comment

Richard Baker| 10.25.09 @ 6:16PM

Truly wish I lived closer to NY-23. Betcha I'd be there as poll watcher. Liberty and Freedom! Pray for Freedom from tyrants. Sic Semper Tyrannis.

Jeff Semenak| 10.25.09 @ 7:54PM

All I could do from Phoenix,AZ is donate $20. I'm there in spirit. I'm assuming Black Panthers would be obvious there as ACORN thugs.

Chris Mosquera| 10.25.09 @ 8:39PM

** WHAT THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT MEANS FOR EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS **

A dark tempest is brewing over the employee and employer work relationship. That Perfect Storm is the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The EFCA is widely expected to pass in some form.

The Democratic Party is heavily indebted to organized labor for their financial and political support. Congress will feel the need to show populist support for labor unions. There is a very real possibility that the EFCA will become the labor law of the land!

The Employee Free Choice Act will require an employer to recognize a union after the authorization cards (‘Card Check’) are signed by a simple majority of 50% or more of the eligible workers, with NO SECRET BALLOT ELECTIONS.

• There will be no opportunity for management to explain their reasons for opposing unionization!
• Even those employees who oppose unions will be required to become union members, against their free will!
• Co-workers and company management will know exactly how all the employees voted!
• As the employee, you will loose the right to the secret ballot election process!
• As the employer, you will loose control of your company!

** THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT IS VITAL TO ORGANIZED LABOR SURVIVAL **

Labor unions have experienced a steady decline in dues paying membership, industry saturation, and political power. Organized labor has made the “Employee Free Choice Act” its highest legislative priority.

The Employee Free Choice Act would drastically increase the number of unionized workers, because it will simplify and speed labor’s ability to unionize companies.

Simply put, the EFCA, or “card check” legislation would let unions form if more than 50% of workers simply sign a card saying they want to join.

It is far easier for unions to get workers to sign cards because the union organizers can canvass workers repeatedly, over a period of weeks or months, until the union obtains the support needed.

The Employee Free Choice Act, would provide injunctions for specified Unfair Labor Practices (known as ULP’s), during union organizing drives and prior to union certification.

• When the NLRB certified the union, the parties would have 90 days to come to acceptable ‘First Contract’ terms, after which either party could ask the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) to mediate the differences.
• If mediation fails after 30 days, the contract would be referred go binding arbitration. The decision of the arbitrator is final and a two-year contract is binding on all parties.
• The EFCA provide damages equal to twice-back pay, if the company violated certain Unfair Labor Practices, after recognition as the bargaining agent.

• Civil Penalties: Provides for civil fines of up to $20,000 per violation against employers, who have been found to willfully or repeatedly violate employees’ rights during an organizing campaign or first contract drive.
• Treble Back Pay: Increases the amount an employer is required to pay when an employee is discharged or discriminated against during an organizing campaign or first contract drive to three times back pay.
• Mandatory Applications for Injunctions.

** As an employer, you may never know a union has arrived at your front door, until after the union becomes the official bargaining agent for your workers. **

** THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT IS ORGANIZED LABORS SALVATION FROM IRRELEVANCE **

For more information about the Employee Free Choice Act and Organized Labor, please read a new book called:
"IS ORGANIZED LABOR A DECAYING BUSINESS MODEL?"

The book is available from the publisher: http://www.outskirtspress.com/chrismosquera.
It is also available on line from: amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com

Victor| 10.26.09 @ 2:17AM

Unions destroy every industry they dominate. They're the reason Detroit is a disaster, look at our public schools.

Chris Mosquera| 10.28.09 @ 10:12AM

Absolutely.
There time has past.
One hundred years ago, during the Industrial Revolution era of America, unions were needed.

They protected workers from repressive management and dangerous working conditions.

Now, they have become a political force, and do little to help the workers, and alot to make unions polotically powerful.

For more information, please see a new book on labor unions, called: "Is Organized Labor A Decaying Business Model?"

It is available: http://www.outskirtspress.com/chrismosquera or on line from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Thank you

notliberalGOP| 10.25.09 @ 9:24PM

What is curious is that Newt Gingrinch continues to support liberal GOP and attack conservative representatives. This is a clear exposure of the hidden agenda. Either Newt is not smart enough to see this or he is part of the plot.

Jefferson John| 10.25.09 @ 9:36PM

Newt's endorsement means about as much as an ACORN endorsement. After all, Newt has proven that he supports racial preferences and most of the rest of a far left agenda. He shares the same opportunistic unprincipled approach to party building being pushed by Juan McCain and Lindsay Graham.

Tim| 10.26.09 @ 10:26AM

It's a real handicap when your constituency have actual jobs that they have to show up for and families to take care off.
Meanwhile the opposition runs busloads of welfare bums around under the direction of trust fund kids.

Bob Belvedere| 10.26.09 @ 11:50AM

Quoted from and Linked to at:
23 SKIDOO VI

Chris Mosquera| 11.1.09 @ 1:22AM

"Is Organized Labor a Decaying Business Model?"

The answer is not a definitive yes or no, but rather yes and no.

The book examines the organized labor business model from economic and political influences of labor unions, relative to the domestic and global economy.

If organized labor continues in the same manner it has for the last century, then the probability of relevant existence in the next century is very slim, and labor will become the one-century wonder.

Unions must accept the new paradigm, which is the nature of work is changing, and will continue to evolve.

The economic forces of globalization are a major contributor to this evolution, as is the shift towards an internet based information society. The traditional blue collar labor business model is being replaced with robotics, technology, outsourcing, and globalization.

Big labor is big business, but still stuck in the last century! Unions have failed to accept that the nature of work has changed.

Business as usual, usually means that you are out of business. Market forces are forcing economic changes, and unless labor adapts quickly, it will become irrelevant in the global market.

Virtually every product and most services can be performed offshore in low wage countries, or outsourced to lower wage states, using eager low-wage non-union workers.

The internet and technology, has created the global 24-hour workday. When it is night in the western hemisphere, it is day in the eastern hemisphere and workers can perform back office functions in the east, ready for the workers in the west the next business day.

Telephone communications is seamlessly transferring calls to worldwide call centers, where cheerful representatives, will answer your concerns in the language you have chosen. “For English press one, for Spanish press two, and for other languages, please press three,” is the globalized method for customer service communications.

American companies can make candles in China, and sell them in Chicago, cheaper than making candles in Chicago and selling them in Chicago. These same companies can make candles in China and sell them in China, and internationally, even cheaper and for a greater profit, than selling the same candles in Chicago.

To an extent, labor unions are to blame. They have priced labor above economic returns. This oversight is a significant contributor to the decline of the organized labor business model.

"If organized labor continues to do what it has always done, it will continue to get less than it has always got." -Anonymous-

For more information: http://www.outskrtspress.com/chrismosquera

Your comments are welcome.....