AFGE Targets Fenty In Radio Ads
Tuesday, August 24, 2010(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
The American Federation of Government Employees, which
represents 600,000 federal and District of Columbia public employees, last week
launched an ad campaign targeting D.C.’s mayor (r). In the “We
Have a Problem with Our Boss,” 60 second radio spot, the public employee
union details attacks against city employees by the mayor, including eliminating
the Department of Public Recreation’s child care services agency. The ad also
chastises the mayor for a failure to nominate members to the Public Employee
Relations Board, which resolves disputes between public employees and the city.
This year the mayor attempted to eliminate the agency in his proposed budget.
“Public employees in the District of Columbia are in a fight to protect their
jobs, their most basic civil service protections, and their dignity,” said
Dwight Bowman, AFGE 14th district national vice-president (and Metro Council
Executive Board member), which represents federal and D.C. employees in the
metro Washington area. “This radio campaign is an articulation of those
concerns.” In addition to the radio ad, AFGE has launched a viral campaign
through several YouTube videos, called “Life Sure is Good for the Teddy
Bears.” (AFGE
Videos Hit Fenty, Draw Media Notice 8/16 UC) In the videos,
the union connects the mayor’s decision to close free daycare for city
residents and the funneling of multi-million dollar contracts to his fraternity
brothers through the Department of Parks and Recreation, without D.C. City
Council approval. “The mayor and his administration have consistently shown
themselves to favor the wealthy and well connected, while also promoting
policies that disadvantage working families across the District of Columbia,”
said Bowman. - photo by Adam Wright