Worker Rights and Consumer Rights

ALEC's Efforts to Limit Worker's and Consumer's Rights The bills on this page represent ALEC corporations' efforts to keep workers from exercising their rights under law, to drain labor unions of resources, and to limit their political influence. Bills here also attack consumer protection laws, encourage the Banksters who crashed the economy, and support slumlords and predatory lenders. These anti-worker and anti-consumer "model bills" are drafted at American Legislative Exchange Council conventions with input from, and approval by, Big Business, then introduced in state legislatures to erode the rights of working Americans. Politicians are elected to represent the people, not corporations; through ALEC, corporations have both a VOICE and a VOTE on specific state laws. Do you?

READ the "Model Bills" HERE Click here for a zip file of all Banking, Consumer Rights & Housing bills. Click here for a zip file of all Property/Auto Insurance & Transportation bills. Click here for a zip file of all Telecommunications & IT bills. Click here for a zip file of all Worker's Rights, Trade, Pensions & Privatization bills. To see a full list of bills from this section and send them to your computer individually, click here. For descriptions of some of these bills, scroll down or click here.

How YOU Can Expose ALEC & Share What You Learn SPREAD THE WORD. Share information about ALEC through Facebook, e-mail and Twitter. Concerned groups and people in every state need this to investigate how ALEC corporations are rewriting laws for their own advantage. And, please join the conversation on Facebook! EXPOSE ALEC LEGISLATORS. Demand the truth about which politicians in your state are in ALEC. Uncover whether YOUR tax dollars are paying ALEC "dues." Expose politicians who accept “scholarships” from ALEC's corporate-funded coffers for fancy trips. EXPOSE ALEC'S ROLE IN YOUR STATE HOUSE. Read these corporate-backed "model bills" NOW and cross-check them with bills in your state legislature. Ask your local media to report on what you have found and write your local newspaper. SHARE YOUR DISCOVERIES. Tell us what you uncovered! Tweet what you learn with the hashtag #ALECexposed, join a discussion on this site or email us a confidential tip via editor AT ALECexposed.org. And, follow our tweets on Twitter!

Get the Goods on ALEC ALEC Exposed Audio & Video From The Nation Magazine: ALEC & Democracy ALEC & Education ALEC & Labor ALEC & Health ALEC & Koch ALEC & Prisons From PR Watch: ALEC & Injury Law ALEC & Wisconsin ALEC & Tobacco ALEC & Climate Change From SourceWatch: Press on ALEC Exposed ALEC Quotes

Who Is Behind ALEC? ALEC Corporations ALEC Politicians ALEC "Scholars" ALEC Boards & Task Forces ALEC Staff More Information ALEC FAQ ALEC Exposed Press Release ALEC Funding ALEC Hotels ALEC Decoded ALEC & NCSL Comparison Common Cause Asks IRS to Audit ALEC Common Cause Study on ALEC Member Campaign Contributions ProPublica's Database of ALEC Campaign Contributions

More Helpful Resources Additional resources on ALEC's corporate agenda: ALEC Funding, PRWatch (2011) American Legislative Exchange Council and other related articles, SourceWatch (2011) Ghostwriting the Law for Corporate America, American Association for Justice (2010) Climate Denial Report on ALEC and Exxon Funding for ALEC, Greenpeace (2011) Governing the Nation from the Statehouses, Progressive States Network (2006) Wolves in Sheep's Clothing, Common Cause (2006) Prison Economics Help Drive Ariz. Immigration Law, NPR (2010) Exposing ALEC, blogging group, Daily KOS (2011) ALEC: The Voice of Corporate Special Interests In State Legislatures, People for the American Way (2011) Corporate America's Trojan Horse in the States, Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council (2002) The Attack on Trial Lawyers and Tort Law, Commonwealth Institute (2003) Wisconsin's Cronon Affair: The Power of a Simple Fact, The Nation Magazine (2011) Ghostwriting the Law, Mother Jones (2002) ALEC Behind Voter Disenfranchisement Efforts, Center for American Progress (2011) ALEC Report, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (2011) ALEC Exposed: Business Domination Inc., The Nation Magazine (2011)

Learn MORE about the "Model Bills" ALEC Corporations Are Backing to Rewrite YOUR Rights The Center for Media and Democracy analyzed the bills ALEC politicians and corporations voted for. More analysis is available below and also at ALEC Exposed's sister sites, PRWatch and SourceWatch.

How are corporations attacking worker rights in these bills? These bills aim to erode the rights of workers in favor of Big Business and corporate interests by: (click the link to download the bill) Pushing union-busting 'right to work' legislation Giving employers access to employees' medical records on worker’s compensation claims Weakening the political power of unions through, for example: limiting dues deduction from paychecks, segregating political spending from payroll deductions, or prohibiting payroll dues deductions for public employees Repealing the prevailing wage paid for government projects, which will lower wage standards, undermine the competitive position of union contractors, and damage the quality of public projects. Eliminating defined benefit pension plans for public employees in favor of defined contribution plans, and placing management of those funds in the hands of private sector management. Imposing new burdens on union activities through, for example: requiring secret ballot elections, requiring extensive reporting (also here) and allowing unrepresented members to opt-out of dues payment (also here) Deterring injured employees from making worker’s compensation claims through: “fraud warnings” and giving employers standing to challenge worker's comp claims (also here). Opposing release time for public employee union activities Privatizing government services through: the “Council on Efficient Government Act” that outsources public services and weakens public employee unions. the "Competitive Contracting of Public Services Act" and "Public-Private Fair Competition Act", bills that require agencies to consider whether services can be provided by private entities at lower cost, with consideration driven by economic concerns rather than what is in the public interest. These are but a few of the bills that attack consumer rights. To see a full list of bills in this section and send them to your computer individually, click here. Some of this Corporate Agenda Has Already Become Law Wisconsin Governor (and ALEC alum) Scott Walker took a cue from the ALEC corporate wish list and introduced a radical bill in February 2011 to cripple public employee unions. Wisconsin Act 10 inspired months of protests and has been subjected to a series of legal challenges. The changes to collective bargaining included an end to payroll deduction for union dues, which closely resembles the "Public Employer Payroll Deduction Act" from ALEC; it also allows non-represented members to opt-out of dues payment, resembling the "Public Employee Freedom Act." It also requires that unions be certified through a secret ballot vote, a policy put forth in the "Secret Ballot Protection Act" from ALEC. To learn more about this story, click here (PLACEHOLDER) (Have any of these bills been introduced or enacted in YOUR state? If so, please add that information to the ALEC Exposed page on your state by searching for your state's name in the search engine at the top of this page.)

How are corporations attacking consumer rights in these bills? These bills restrict the rights of consumers in favor of Banksters, predatory lenders, and other corporate interests by: (click the link to download the bill) Supporting astronomical credit card rates, and opposing efforts to limit Americans’ credit card debt Supporting unfair ATM fees, and opposing restrictions on those charges Opposing the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, a vitally important agency whose necessity became obvious after banksters crashed the U.S. economy Opposing “Socially Conscious Investments” (seriously!) Supporting the “right” of insurance companies to participate in discriminatory and unconstitutional “redlining” (the practice of charging people of color significantly higher insurance rates because they are “riskier”) by rebranding the practice as “territorial rating” Promoting predatory lending through: Authorizing short-term, high-interest loans backed by the borrower’s car title, placing working persons in the position of losing their vehicle (an asset necessary to work and make a living) Prohibiting local governments from regulating unfair lending practices in favor of more centralized state control (a common theme in ALEC bills: local control is desirable when it applies to state’s rights against the federal government, but not when it applies to a community’s rights against the state) Limiting the ability to develop smart transportation policy through a state Constitutional Amendment requiring that revenues from gas taxes and vehicle-related fees be used for highways, rather than investment in less fossil-fuel dependent rail transit or bike lanes. The proposed ALEC Amendment has been adopted in 29 states (eight of which copied the ALEC language verbatim). Attacking housing rights through, for example: Eliminating building and maintenance codes for affordable housing under the guise of “increasing the construction of low-income housing,” but likely paving the way for a regulation-free housing market Privatizing public housing by contracting with private-sector tenant management organizations (1A9) and enacting “right to buy” laws At the height of the housing bubble, encouraging greater housing deregulation in order to promote even more construction, and blaming high housing prices on regulation (rather than speculation) Encouraging pension fund investment in real estate before the housing bubble developed These are but a few of the bills that attack consumer rights. To see a full list of bills in this section and download them individually, click here. Did You Know about this Bill? Authorizing "Car Title Pledges" for Predatory Lenders One "model bill" from ALEC corporations would authorize a form of short-term lending that many states have recognized as unfair and predatory to low-income consumers. Specifically, it authorizes lending companies to give short-term, 30-day renewable loans backed by the borrower's car title, loans which usually have high rates of interest. Consumer groups have opposed this type of lending not only because the high interest rates and short-term repayment period can trap consumers in a cycle of debt, but also because it places a working person in the position of risking their vehicle (an asset usually necessary in order to work and maintain a living). The bill also provides few consumer protections, for example failing to include a private right of action with strong remedies, and requiring that all claims be brought within one year. This provides little deterrence for predatory lenders, and because the budgets and resources of regulatory agencies are often limited, the state cannot adequately crack-down on abusive lenders. The Consumer Federation of America, USPIRG, and the Center for Responsible Lending sent a letter to ALEC opposing this model legislation in November 2005, noting these concerns and referring to many examples of predatory title lending, and also pointing out that title lenders have been generous campaign contributors. "Title Pledge Acts" have become law in states such as Mississippi and Tennessee, and in 2011, Wisconsin rolled-back its ban on the practice. Is a local legislator who was elected to represent YOU actually protecting the profits of corporate interests?

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