In testimony May 26 before the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions hearing on “Corporate Campaigns and NLRB: The Impact of Union Pressure on Job Creation,” ABC member Chet Karnas, president and owner of Lone Sun Builders, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M., told committee members that, “unions have launched several corporate campaigns against us over the years, during which they have engaged in many unethical practices, including attempts to smear our name through bannering.
“These signs (bannering) were emblazoned with inflammatory, unfounded claims about our labor policies, and designed to publicly humiliate and discredit us,” said Karnas. “These deplorable tactics are desperate attempts to unfairly gain market share by targeting merit shop construction companies and their clients, regardless of the wishes of their employees.”
Karnas detailed the campaign against his company led by the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. He explained that the union violated his company’s property rights, issued false claims, made vulgar and threatening remarks, and vowed to put his company out of business. Karnas said he fought back with his own public relations campaign to restore his company’s name. However, he said business has suffered greatly.
“In all, we estimate that we have suffered a 20 percent to 30 percent decline in sales directly due to the negative impact of the carpenters’ corporate campaign,” Karnas said.
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