Message Discipline
There's a new political animal emerging in North American trade unions today, commonly referred to as "Media Consultants". With growing dissatisfaction amongst rank and file members, over the practice of business unionism and it's devastating effects on wages and benefits, the need for this breed of propaganda spin doctors has never been greater.
As union leaders continue to fall under attack from both external and internal forces the need for positive political spin becomes essential in maintaining power and control over the membership. An effective tool in doing just that is concentrating all public dialogue in the capable hands of a few professionals hired to protect the public image of the trade union leader. "Message Discipline" is the method by which this group of public relations specialists try and create an image that presents the union hierarchy as fighting for the workers when in fact all these union bureaucrats are truly doing is cutting deals that promote the interests of the union as if it were their own business.
To give you an example of what these consultants offer a union President; suppose you and your spouse went to Las Vegas, and although you had both agreed not to gamble more than $200 dollars of your vacation money, you somehow got caught up in the moment and lost over $ 4,000. Rather than simply breaking the news to your spouse that you grossly exceeded your spending limits, a good 'Media Consultant' would more aptly explain "I have some very good news for you. As a result of your spouse's financial endeavors downstairs in the casino, you are now both in a much lower tax bracket for the remainder of this fiscal year."
Amusing as that may sound, it is precisely what these individuals are hired to do, and they do their job well. One such person once told me that you never say things like "these guys aren't crooks" because that is exactly what people will think. Focus only on the positive "these are honest, hard working individuals who deserve a raise" and the message is more effectively delivered. Few people possess this skill, fewer still if they are on the defensive. Consequently, less and less public relations are being handled by the trade union leaders themselves, who have relegated this practice to professionals focused exclusively on promoting their clients image.
Until recently this has always been a tactic used by corporate tycoons who needed image builders around for damage control. In the past union leaders have heavily criticized corporations for utilizing such individuals and felt it only demonstrated just how guilty of social injustice these employers truly were. From the trade union perspective they were fighting for justice and fair play and didn't need to protect their image. Sure they had people who wrote the newsletters to their members but the only prerequisite was an ability to string a few sentences together to pass the word. Hardly the free wheeling high powered propaganda machine we see today.
I suppose that's the logical by-product when sheep send their shepherd dog out to "deal" with the wolfs. Given time and opportunity it's not long before that dog starts thinking and acting like he's a wolf. And we all know wolves don't eat wolves, they eat sheep! Hence the widespread adoption of 'business unionism' and the abandonment of the working class by the very shepherds entrusted to protect them.
Even the term "business unionism" is simply a more positive spin on the act of putting the needs of the union as an institution ahead of the members that union is morally obligated to serve. It is this practice that has given rise to the need for the trade union hierarchy to utilize these hired guns in the first place. The by-product of this prevailing ideology has been increasingly deteriorating contract language, stagnating benefits and causing wage reductions for rank and file members across the continent. All the while union executives continue to reap the benefits of a growing membership and ever increasing dues base.
I suppose one could argue that the use of a good 'media consultant' is beneficial to the promotion of the union and it's members and I would not be so quick to disagree with that train of thought. However, to use Tom Fawkes , media relations for UFCW local 1518, as just one example. What Mr Fawkes is promoting is President Brooke Sundin, certainly not the interests and wishes of the local 1518 membership. Every piece of propaganda Mr. Fawkes is responsible for is designed solely for one purpose and one purpose alone... to make Brooke and his "Action Team" appear larger than life and justified in their daily activities.
Speaking as a rank and file member, I question the validity of our members being expected to pay the huge salaries these individuals command in light of the service they actually provide. If union leaders have done such a poor job in representing their members that they must resort to employer style damage control mechanisms then they should also have to personally foot the bill rather than dipping even further into the pockets of union members.
The sad reality is that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. In patterning themselves in precisely the same fashion as their corporate counterparts the vast majority of trade unions have minimized the possibility for meaningful membership participation and subsequently maximized the potential for corruption within the leadership. It is this charade that has given rise to the need for union leaders to hire these professional image ameliorators. Subsequently, it's vitally important all members are cognizant of the true message streaming out of their local union halls and grant it the appropriate weight it deserves.