Political ad criticized from both sides

BY KEITH EDWARDS Staff Writer Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel AUGUSTA -- A political advertisement featuring an actor who played a mobster on "The Sopranos" apparently portraying a labor union boss, which is critical of U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, is being denounced by both the Allen and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins campaigns. Allen, a Democrat, and Collins, a Republican, are running against each other for the U.S. Senate. The ads, paid for by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, suggest Allen, because he was a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, wants to deny workers the right to vote by secret ballot when deciding whether to join a union. The coalition is not affiliated with either of the campaigns. The issue of the Employee Free Choice Act aside, both campaigns said third party, negative campaign ads don't belong in Maine. "You've got a bunch of big corporations targeting Democratic candidates running for Senate," said Carol Andrews, spokeswoman for Allen's campaign. "They've put a lot of money behind these ad campaigns. In our state they're spending upwards of $800,000 bashing Tom Allen, unions, and Maine working people. It's a total insult and a slap in the face." Andrews said the ad seeks to demonize Maine's union workers, who include firefighters and shipbuilders. "They are not organized crime," Andrews said. While Andrews said the Allen campaign has publicly asked Collins to denounce the ads, she said the Collins campaign has been silent about the ads. However, on Friday, Collins' campaign spokesman Kevin Kelley denounced the ads, too. "Senator Collins' campaign has nothing to do with these ads, which are apparently running in several cities around the country," Kelley said. "Senator Collins has always denounced third-party ads like these and continues to believe that they should have no place in Maine politics." Coalition leaders said their most recent ad, developed by nationally known media strategist Mike Murphy and featuring actor Vince Curatola, who played gangster John "Johnny Sac" Sacramoni on the former HBO television series "The Sopranos," was an effort to use a recognized character and humor to make their point. The organization describes itself as a coalition of workers, employers, associations and organizations. Its members, according to a list on the organization's Web site, appear to be primarily made up of business and industry associations. Rhonda Bentz, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, said the organization has no ties to the Collins campaign. "They didn't even know we were running or creating," the ads, Bentz said. "We felt it is important in that there is an opportunity to educate Maine citizens there is a threat to private ballot election. Whoever gets elected to the Senate -- Allen or Collins -- it is likely, next year, they will be faced with how to vote on this issue." Regarding the Employee Free Choice Act issue, Kelley said Collins voted against the act because, "Just as every member of Congress is elected by secret ballot, she believes that employees should have the same right when it comes to determining union representation." However, Andrews noted the act would not take away workers' rights to vote by secret ballot. Instead, Andrews said, it would keep the option of a secret ballot vote, while also giving workers an additional option. She said the act adds the majority sign-up, or card check, process, in which workers seeking to form a union could sign cards indicating their desire to do so. Andrews said that process would be much quicker and make it easier for people to unionize. She said the current system allows the employer to direct when union elections would be held, and some employers can take advantage of the system to delay the process and "try to wear people down so they never do it." Bentz said the Employee Free Choice Act would leave the decision of whether to use secret ballots or the card check process in union elections up to union bosses and organizers. An almost identical ad, just featuring different candidates, has also run on television in Minnesota, where Democrat Al Franken is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Keith Edwards -- 621-5647 kedwards@centralmaine.com