The Center for Union Facts is condemning a New York based newspaper for refusing to run an ad Monday criticizing several prominent labor leaders in the state.
The hope was to publish the two page ad in the New York state newspaper City and State. It was going to appear as a centerfold in its Organized Labor Issue. Union Facts, however, was told they couldn’t run the ad because it was too critical of several union leaders with whom the newspaper does business. Union Facts Executive Director Rick Berman noted the decision shows the problems exorbitant union power causes.
“We’re disappointed that City and State doesn’t have the backbone to run an ad that would have been controversial among its union clients,” Berman said in a statement to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “This is why the unions are able to maintain such a death grip on so many of our institutions, organizations like City and State are easily intimidated in the face of union power.”
The ad was in response to a diversity campaign being run by the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. As part of its campaign the union is touting that it is diverse and welcoming to women and minorities. As the ad pointed out, all 21 leaders of the union are older white males.
“They would rather restrict open and honest debate about labor unions in America than risk making their union clients uncomfortable,” Berman continued. “This is a cowardly move on the part of the City and State.”
Andrew Holt, publisher of City and State, reportedly explained the reason for the rejection was because six to eight union leaders the ad referenced do business with the paper. He told Union Facts that the VP of advertising Jim Katocin and President Tom Allon were part of the decision. Both of whom used to be a member of the United Federation of Teachers according to Union Facts.
“I’ll be perfectly frank with you, the ad mentions six to eight clients of ours.” Holt reportedly told Union Facts in a statement obtained by TheDCNF. “It was basically a business decision that in mentioning those clients and people we’ve had longstanding relationships with that it makes it a little bit difficult to run that ad.”
City and State did not respond to a request for comment from TheDCNF.
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