Hypocrisy Matter at Media Matters

Liberal Non-Profit Doesn't Practice What it Preaches

Media Matters For America (MMFA), a liberal non-profit  “watchdog” group that supports organized labor efforts, has actually refused to let their own employees associate with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500.

 On April 9th, 2014 the SEIU formally submitted their requested for recognition to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), that request apparently had “no reply” from MMFA. The SEIU then asked MMFA for a card check election, that request was also denied. The union then filed a request for a workplace election to be held at MMFA stating that “a substantial number of employees wish to be represented." According to the Washington Times  “Local 500 spokesman Christopher Honey has said that 36 of MMFA's 51 employees back the union.”

It seems that the 36 or so employees of MMFA have started a group aimed to organize the nonprofit, calling themselves the Media Matters Organizing Committee. This committee released a statement, plastered across the SEIU website, on Monday expressing their outrage that their employer had betrayed them: 

Media Matters employees often write in defense of organized labor, and our work has demonstrated the virtues of organizing through card-check and the perils of being forced through a protracted NLRB election process. It is fitting, then, that we’ve chosen to unionize and attempt to lead our own lives by the principles we regularly advocate for in our work.

The actions of Media Matters executives have placed employees in the impossible position of continuing to produce content espousing pro-labor values for an employer who is challenging our right to unionize. Not only is management subjecting Media Matters employees to arduous NLRB procedures, the actions of their attorneys indicate Media Matters executives object so tenaciously to our union that they appear willing to prevent employees from ever having the opportunity to vote on the matter.

Many Media Matters employees feel betrayed by the unexpected and unexplained path our leadership has taken in response to our efforts to unionize. Our desire to organize should be not a controversial or surprising turn of events at a progressive organization like Media Matters for America. We continue to hold out hope that our executives will change course in favor of the path the organization has long advocated.

Now this resistance from the MMFA leaders becomes even more twisted when you take into account the amount of money MMFA has graciously taken from the unions, including SEIU. The Washington Free Beacon reported that “... SEIU donated $150,000 to the liberal attack group between 2009 and 2012” and more than $750,000 from four other unions, including the AFL-CIO.

Turns out Media Matters is just another liberal organization that does not practice what it preaches.