First TV ad since party switch asks if he will do the right thing and support workers

WASHINGTON, DC—Launching the first television advertisement since Senator Specter switched party affiliations, American Rights at Work asks the Senator if he will stand with America’s workers and support the Employee Free Choice Act or choose to back the corporate interests responsible for our nation’s economic meltdown. This ad serves as a reminder to Senator Specter that workers in Pennsylvania and across the country are counting on Congress to make the economy work for everyone again.

“This new ad makes it clear that the debate on the Employee Free Choice is really a choice between helping the corporations that drove this economy out of balance or helping working people who are losing their homes and their jobs,” said American Rights at Work Acting Executive Director Kimberly Freeman. “We hope Senator Specter will join the President and the majority of Congress who understand that if we truly wish to restore our middle class, workers must be able to bargain, not borrow their way to a better life.”

Big corporations and CEOs are fighting the Employee Free Choice Act because they want to maintain the status quo – an environment in which they get richer while workers are struggling to just get by. Opponents of workers’ rights have attempted to say and do anything to distract from the issue at hand, yet a majority of the public remains hungry for real solutions for our struggling middle class.

“Without workers’ freedom to bargain, the economy can’t be rebuilt in a way that guarantees the middle class will be rebuilt with it,” said Freeman. “Thankfully the Employee Free Choice Act would put real money into the hands of working families without costing the government a dime. So as we look for a way out of our economic crisis, we must not miss this opportunity to reform our obsolete labor laws so that workers can have a fair and direct path to forming unions, meaningful penalties are established for employers who violate the law, and workers and employers can secure a contract in a reasonable period of time.”

The ad joins increased efforts in Pennsylvania this week from the broad coalition supporting the legislation. Actions include 10,000 phone calls to the Senator's office, an endorsement from 100 small business owners, multiple roundtable events with community leaders, and labor walks throughout the state.

To view the new ad and for more information, visit www.FreeChoiceAct.org or www.americanrightsatwork.org.

Below is the script for the new TV ad:

“The Right Thing” TV: 30

VO:
Pennsylvania backed Specter when he was the deciding vote for President Obama’s stimulus package.

It’s already bringing new jobs.

Specter usually does the right thing.

Two years ago; he supported the Employee Free Choice Act, to help working people join together for fair pay and benefits.

So now, where will Specter stand?

With Obama, Biden, and the working families of Pennsylvania…

Or with greedy CEOs, and Big Business lobbyists?

Call and Tell Specter Pennsylvania’s for him…..As long as he’s for the Employee Free Choice Act.