AntiUnion Organization Uses Actors To Harass Democratic Senate Candidate

An antilabor union 527 organization run by superlobbyist Rick Berman is using actors dressed as the "Grim Reaper" to harass Oregon Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Merkley at campaign events across the state of Oregon as Merkley campaigns for office. Officially, Berman's organization is heavily funded by many right wing Southern antiunion businesses such as the tobacco or alcohol industry or meat processors.

Berman's organization has the latest new -low hit by 527's and antiunion organizations to use actors dressed in costumes to disrupt political campaigns of Democratic candidates, yet publicly claims to nonpartisan. Berman also claims that his antiunion front groups are neither pro-nor antiunion yet when an independent proworker organization posted some internal documents on their website at AMERICAN RIGHTS AT WORK, Berman went to court to have the documents removed and sealed by a court that proved that Berman was paid a large retainer by pork processor Smithfield Foods in North Carolina that has been involved in a long conflict with an union campaign by the United Food And Commercial Workers. Berman tells the public one thing, but when documents prove different, then Berman goes to court and sues to mask his money trail and coceal his union busting activities.

Berman is no independent player in American politics. He is a right winger with a clear political agenda to drive down wages and to mislead the public with smear campaigns to tar up labor unions and elect conservative Republican legislators although some of figures associated with the tobacco industries that have been known to support Berman's work are associated with companies found guilty of civil racketeering in court before and document destruction.