Brain-Jockey

Save My Ballot: Coaching Tips

Written by Audrie Zettick on March 31, 2009

Just got back from the most recent “Save My Ballot” event, at the PA Capitol in Harrisburg. An initiative coordinated by Amercians for Prosperity.   It was well organized and included many things: free lunch for attendees, a chance to hear Joe Wurzelbacher (aka Joe the Plumber), send Sen. Specter a message and……. commune with AFL-CIO members who were bused in.

 

Yeah, they were bused in. Not un-expected.  I remember when I ran for Congress, an amazing number of union members were suddenly off work, working the polls on behalf of my opponent. 

 

 I got there a little after noon (the event was billed as 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) Apparently, the union members tried to make a lotta noise early on, while featured guests were speaking. 

 

Afterward, I spoke with Tim Phillips (pictured below, with several local protestors), President of AFP about the event.  He noted that it was easier to get people to events who were benefiting from them, such as those getting something FROM the government (here, unions); conservatives just want people (and the government) to leave them alone.  We’re generally not protesters. 

 

A couple of Card Check opponents who hung around got into shouting matches or heated debates with union members.  After watching our crowd, I decided to jot some coaching tips for future protest events.

 

1) Stick to your issue/keep to message.  In this case, Card Check (Employee Not-So-Free-Choice Act).  You might be ticked off about other issues (mandatory union dues, the power of the union PACs, what they’ve done to the auto industry, among others).  I saw one person debating with a union member about union management structure/power, how they don’t represent their members’ interests, etc.  Not sure what they thought this conversation would accomplish; maybe it was a mental health moment allowing them to vent and thereby keep their head from exploding….I understand.  But, in this case, we’re taking about a piece of legislation that takes away workers’ rights to a secret ballot and would force federally-appointed arbitrators to write union contracts, forcing them on employers and workers without their consent. 

 

2) Maintain your cool while engaging the opposition, but deploy defensive tactics when necessary. Let them make fools of themselves. We stay level-headed (yes, some days I’m ready to pick up the pitchfork too).  Heated debate is great.  Group chants (on message!) to override opposition chants are appropriate.  I saw one woman shrieking ”union thugs!” and other verbiage because she was upset they were there and had been chanting previously. In this day and age of instant media, cell phone cameras and YouTube, even these chance encounters can work for or against you. An edited video of her shrieking would play well into the hands of the opposition (They hate the unions! And workers! And they’re a bunch of banshees!).   Another protestor shouted to the union “you have no right to be here” (well, they do.  There’s that Constitution thing).

 

3) For maximum crowd, make sure participants know when the bulk of the event is.  Today’s was billed as 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  I made the assumption this meant it would go on for that long, or at least speakers would continue for a while.  It was pretty much done by noon.  People showing up at noon or 12:30 would have simply kept walking, as it appeared the crowd was dispersing.  I think it lessened the official turnout.  Instead, we need to choose and promote a starting time. Period.

 

4) Dispell notions, when appropriate.  We’re not at these protests to make friends, but we are there to engage, provoke thought, and let our voices per heard (and perhaps, even to change some minds).  In many cases, we have the chance to voice our opinion in various media–so use it. 

 

In my case, when engaging a union member, I assume that he believes my family’s had no union experience.  So I start with: “My one grandfather was a union coal miner, my other one was a union stevador at the docks in Philly.  Believe me, I’ve seen the worth of a union.  But, THIS bill takes away the right of a private ballot”….etc.  

 

The protestor who’d been having the most heated debate later told me that her mom was a cafeteria worker.  That she’d been forced to join the union.  I’d heard her debate for 10 minutes and she never brought this up!  If I’d had my video cam handy, I’d have taped her mom’s story for the web.   Instead, we could have gotten a video of a screaming rant by another protestor that wasn’t on message. 

 

So, let’s keep to message, fine-tune what words we get out and where……. but still keep those pitchforks handy.  After all, we have to be true to ourselves. 

 

ADDENDUM:  Here’s coverage from the Patriot News.  A fair article that gives you a sense of the issue but leads with how the union members were shouting over the speakers. (Note: the link is an excerpt. The full written article was better).  I think Joe The Plumber dealt with this by showing class.  If he hadn’t THAT’s what would have led the story, and undoubtedly been on Youtube.  We can all learn a thing or two.