Lakeshore Union Free: Yet Another Faceless Front Group
While reading some messages on a local board I noticed an ad for the group "Lakeshore Union Free," yet another cowardly front group with slick website loaded with stock photography and propaganda about unions (particularly about the Employee Free Choice Act).
Like most [corporate-sponsored] front groups, its "About Us" and "Contact us" pages are devoid of actual contact information outside of an email address (info@lakeshore-uf.com). They've got a bit of money to work with; they've been advertising on a variety of online platforms.
The website domain is registered at a Utah-based web hosting provider "HostMonster," and (as per usual) the registrant information is hidden by the hosting provider. It wasn't registered until November 10, 2008 and it's only registered for one year - so it's likely a 527 group whose sole purpose is to bad-mouth the EFCA and then vanish.
Some of their videos feature interviews with hand-picked workers trash-talking unions with ignorant, specious, anecdotal accusations unsupported by any facts or statistics. Some of the names that appear are:
"Reid Van Wormer" (Magna Donnelly Corporation), Karen Rogers (Dana Corporation), Clarice Atherholt (Dana Corporation - retired), Janet Zoeller (Dana Corporation - former employee), Mike Powers (Saint-Gobain Corporation), Bill Damato (Saint-Gobain Corporation), Wayne Gregoire (Saint-Gobain Corporation), Jim Mitchell (Saint-Gobain Corporation), Kathy Pellow (Electrolux Corporation - Former Employee), Doreen Ruge (Electrolux Corporation - Former Employee), .
It would be interesting to see if anyone knows any of these people and might be able to find out who interviewed them (as a way of unmasking this shady front group).
What's particularly nauseating is the tagline at the end of the videos: "Brought to you by the concerned of your community."
Like most [corporate-sponsored] front groups, its "About Us" and "Contact us" pages are devoid of actual contact information outside of an email address (info@lakeshore-uf.com). They've got a bit of money to work with; they've been advertising on a variety of online platforms.
The website domain is registered at a Utah-based web hosting provider "HostMonster," and (as per usual) the registrant information is hidden by the hosting provider. It wasn't registered until November 10, 2008 and it's only registered for one year - so it's likely a 527 group whose sole purpose is to bad-mouth the EFCA and then vanish.
Some of their videos feature interviews with hand-picked workers trash-talking unions with ignorant, specious, anecdotal accusations unsupported by any facts or statistics. Some of the names that appear are:
"Reid Van Wormer" (Magna Donnelly Corporation), Karen Rogers (Dana Corporation), Clarice Atherholt (Dana Corporation - retired), Janet Zoeller (Dana Corporation - former employee), Mike Powers (Saint-Gobain Corporation), Bill Damato (Saint-Gobain Corporation), Wayne Gregoire (Saint-Gobain Corporation), Jim Mitchell (Saint-Gobain Corporation), Kathy Pellow (Electrolux Corporation - Former Employee), Doreen Ruge (Electrolux Corporation - Former Employee), .
It would be interesting to see if anyone knows any of these people and might be able to find out who interviewed them (as a way of unmasking this shady front group).
What's particularly nauseating is the tagline at the end of the videos: "Brought to you by the concerned of your community."