Joseph Klein Phony New York Times/CBS News Poll On Public Union Collective Bargaining Rights

NewsReal ^ | March 1, 2011 | Joseph Klein

[TheHawksNest]

According to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, a majority of Americans say they oppose efforts to weaken the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions and are also against cutting the pay or benefits of public workers to reduce state budget deficits.

These findings, which the Times reports on p.1 in its March 1st edition, are consistent with some other recent polls, but are misleading because of the way in which the questions were framed.

The questions themselves, which appear on p.18, include the following:

Collective bargaining refers to negotiations between an employer and a labor union’s members to determine the conditions of employment. Some states are trying to take away some of the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions. Do you favor or oppose taking away some of the collective bargaining rights of these unions?

Only 33% were in favor of “taking away some of the collective bargaining rights.” 60% of respondents were opposed. However, the question’s phrasing helped produce this skewed result.

The question inaccurately states that collective bargaining involves negotiations between an employer and “a labor union’s members.” It is union leaders “representing” the members who actually sit at the bargaining table and insist on such “conditions of employment” as mandatory union dues automatically deducted from a worker’s paycheck by the government and no alternatives to an expensive union-provided health insurance plan.

How do you suppose the results would have come out if the question included mandatory union dues and no choice in health plans as the kinds of conditions of employment which Governor Walker and other reformers are trying to eliminate?

[TheHawksNest]

Obviously we know to take these polls with a grain of salt, but it's nice to see them called out on their deceptive polling methods.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Ping for later

[RtWngr]

I’d like to see the results of this poll: Which would you prefer - a reduction in collective bargaining rights for public employees or a 10% increase in your taxes to pay for them?

[yetidog]

Unfortunately, most Americans do not know what collective bargaining is much less able to make an informed comment on the subject. I would love to see the results of a poll that explained collective bargaining in the context of negotiating extravagant public employee pay increases and benefits with public money.

[FreeKeys]

Public employee unions are vastly different from unions in non-government organizations. Directly or indirectly, sooner or later, public employee unions' demands are always met because they get to "negotiate" with the people they helped to elect, who are therefore beholden to them, and who don't have to personally pay for the wages and benefits (the taxpayers do).

[Upstate NY Guy]

Also, as Rush pointed out today, the poll was heavily skewed toward households of public employee union members. Gee, I wonder which way they answered?

[Upstate NY Guy]

"Do you favor or oppose taking away some of the collective bargaining rights of these unions?"

Loaded question. How do you answer if you favor taking away all of the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions?

[Mr. K]

WHY ARE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNIONS ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS OR DONATE TO ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO WILL DECIDE THEIR SALARY?

THIS IS A HUGE CONFLICT OF INTEREST!!

[TheHawksNest]

Also, as Rush pointed out today, the poll was heavily skewed toward households of public employee union members. Gee, I wonder which way they answered?

Didn't get to hear Rush today. That's an important point.

[tubebender]

From Rush today...

"'The nationwide telephone poll was conducted Feb. 24-27 with 984 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all adults. Of those surveyed, 20 percent said there was a union member in their household, and 25 percent said there was a public employee in their household.'" So, "Although less than 12 percent of the workforce is unionized today," and by the way, the private sector number is light eight. "Although less than 12 percent of the workforce is unionized today 20 percent of the households in the survey had a union member. Although government workers are 17 percent of the workforce, 25 percent of the households surveyed had one living there.

[Foolsgold]

I work with a guy that used to own a phone room and did polls. His first question, what results do you want? so I know how to write the questions.

[Intolerant in NJ]

As Charles Krauthammer said on Fox tonight, more or less, “I don’t have much confidence in the polls - let me ask the questions and I’ll get you whatever results you want”...

[JerseyHighlander]

Joseph Joe Klein makes his living as a propagandist, the following is part of his correspondence on the mail list JournOlist to prove it:

 

 Website run by GLENN GREENWALD:

http://utdocuments.blogspot.com/2009/08/joe-klein-on-journolist.html

 

> On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 10:09 PM, Joe Klein <joe_kl...@timemagazine.com>
> wrote:

XXXX--

You actually believe polls about issues? On what basis? You think the public actually wants a public option...maybe what they really don’t want is a government takeover of health care. Or maybe both. Or maybe—no, this is actually the truth: they don’t know what the fuck they want. Maybe—no, again, the truth: they don’t have the time or interest to figure what any of this means. And they are one good negative 20-second spot away from being demagogued up the wazoo on this issue when the actual election begins.

[TheHawksNest]

JerseyHighlander wrote:

Joseph Joe Klein makes his living as a propagandist

Different Joseph Klein. The guy who wrote this article is the conservative author of "Lethal Engagement: Barack Hussein Obama, the United Nations and Radical Islam."