“Fear and concern” keeping MSNBC hosts quiet in union dispute, AFL-CIO suggests
.WEDNESDAY, DEC 18, 2013
After alleged union-busting by NBC-owned company, AFL-CIO calls out Maddow, Sharpton, O'Donnell, Schultz, and Hayes
The AFL-CIO urged MSNBC hosts Wednesday to defy “fear and concern” and break their silence about NBC’s alleged anti-union “hypocrisy.” None of the five high-profile progressives they’ve targeted – Rachel Maddow, Al Sharpton, Lawrence O’Donnell, Chris Hayes, and Ed Schultz – has so far directly and publicly addressed allegations that NBC-owned Peacock Productions exploited fear tactics and legal tricks to avert unionization. NBC and the five hosts did not immediately respond to Wednesday morning inquiries, or to prior requests for comment over the past week.
“These hosts have a particular responsibility,” AFL-CIO Organizing Director Elizabeth Bunn told Salon. “They have respect and they have clout that producers alone don’t have, and they’re part of the larger progressive movement.” She said the five anchors were “uniquely positioned to hear the stories of what their parent company is doing to workers, and broadcast that to the larger American public.” She urged them to follow the “inspirational example” of workers at Peacock Productions – a company which produces some MSNBC programming – who’ve chosen to take collective action.
“We’re speculating that there’s a level of fear and concern” among the five celebrity anchors, Bunn told Salon. ................................
http://www.salon.com/2013/12/18/fear_and_concern_keeping_msnbc_hosts_quiet_in_union_dispute_afl_cio_suggests/
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