At first glance, the flowing Champagne and tuxedos, the glistening jewelry and string quartet, appear to be part of Hollywood's latest film on New York's upper crust. But it soon becomes clear the scenes of opulence are part of a hard-hitting union advertising campaign that attacks Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg for not doing more to raise taxes on the rich to help eliminate the city's budget deficit.þþThe broadcast ad, titled Cocktail Party, shows a woman rejoicing that the city has not closed ÿour favorite museum.ÿ A well-dressed man responds, ÿBut they are closing firehouses and senior centers.ÿþþThen the woman says: ÿAt least Mayor Bloomberg is not increasing our taxes. Remember we earned $5 million last year.ÿþþLocal 1180 of the Communications Workers of America began running the broadcast ad Wednesday, contending that New York's wealthy are thriving and can afford to pay more taxes to help minimize layoffs and service cuts. þþIn a jab at the mayor, the ad begins, ÿIn Mike Bloomberg's New York, some people are just out of touch.ÿ þþThe ad, by the Advance Group, is part of a growing effort by labor to use Madison Avenue's techniques to pressure Mr. Bloomberg and Gov. George E. Pataki to squeeze the rich instead of squeezing services and workers. þþÿThe mayor threw down the gauntlet when he characterized us trade unions as being greedy and self-serving,ÿ said Arthur Cheliotes, president of Local 1180, which represents 8,000 supervisors and middle managers. ÿThe fact remains, the mayor has not asked the rich to contribute much to solve the crisis. The number of millionaires in New York tripled in the 1990's.ÿþþThe union plans to spend $300,000 on its ad campaign. District Council 37, the largest municipal union, has its own $500,000 broadcast campaign that criticizes Mr. Bloomberg over layoffs and service cuts and urges him to push for higher taxes.þþÿMiddle-class New Yorkers are paying higher fares and property taxes because of the budget crisis,ÿ the narrator says in one of D.C. 37's ads running on cable TV. ÿNow City Hall wants to hit you with service cuts and layoffs. But the mayor has yet to join the push in Albany to close corporate loopholes and restore fair taxes on the wealthy.ÿþþThe ads, also being run on several radio stations, are also trying to draw union members and the public to a rally at City Hall on Tuesday.þþLillian Roberts, the district council's executive director, said, ÿIt's to let the mayor know that we're seriously unhappy about what's happening to us.ÿþþThe ads come after Mr. Bloomberg ordered 4,500 layoffs and threatened 10,500 more unless Albany provides more money to the city or the unions provide more savings. Mr. Bloomberg announced the layoffs after he and the municipal unions failed to agree on $600 million in labor savings.þþÿUnion leaders seem to care more about playing politics than helping the city and protecting its workforce,ÿ said Edward Skyler, spokesman for Mr. Bloomberg. ÿThey sacrificed their own members to protect their own posts and perks, and the public will have to bear the burden of reduced services.ÿþþThe sanitation workers' union, long one of the city's lower profile unions, is planning a $70,000 campaign, including full-page ads in three newspapers next Tuesday. þþThe union's leaders are fuming that Mr. Bloomberg plans to lay off 650 sanitation workers, one-tenth the membership of a union that is often hailed for increasing productivity by moving from three-person to two-person trucks.þþHarry Nespoli, the union's president, said the layoffs might discourage other unions from agreeing to productivity increases. þþÿWhat the mayor's doing is sending a bad signal,ÿ he said. ÿIt's saying, `What does productivity mean if it means layoffs for the workers?' ÿþþMr. Skyler responded, ÿWhatever productivity increases the city achieved in the past are in the past, and the budget in the current fiscal crisis requires real productivity enhancements or we will be forced to have a smaller workforce.ÿþ
Source: NY Times
