AFGE Targets Fenty In Radio Ads

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 600,000 federal and District of Columbia public employees, last week launched an ad campaign targeting D.C.’s mayor (r). In the “We Have a Problem with Our Boss,” 60 second radio spot, the public employee union details attacks against city employees by the mayor, including eliminating the Department of Public Recreation’s child care services agency. The ad also chastises the mayor for a failure to nominate members to the Public Employee Relations Board, which resolves disputes between public employees and the city. This year the mayor attempted to eliminate the agency in his proposed budget. “Public employees in the District of Columbia are in a fight to protect their jobs, their most basic civil service protections, and their dignity,” said Dwight Bowman, AFGE 14th district national vice-president (and Metro Council Executive Board member), which represents federal and D.C. employees in the metro Washington area. “This radio campaign is an articulation of those concerns.” In addition to the radio ad, AFGE has launched a viral campaign through several YouTube videos, called “Life Sure is Good for the Teddy Bears.” (AFGE Videos Hit Fenty, Draw Media Notice 8/16 UC) In the videos, the union connects the mayor’s decision to close free daycare for city residents and the funneling of multi-million dollar contracts to his fraternity brothers through the Department of Parks and Recreation, without D.C. City Council approval. “The mayor and his administration have consistently shown themselves to favor the wealthy and well connected, while also promoting policies that disadvantage working families across the District of Columbia,” said Bowman. - photo by Adam Wright