reading and i had the privilege to come down and visit my aunt. .. >> the five page paperback

books than getting to read harry potter to watch the movie then something to say about the smell of the book did a used book store did you flip through the pages and you can smell the history of where the book has been the best loved books have the clue is melted and pages have fallen out stand to carry these around. least death didn't day it was incapable to re-read anymore on the screen if i did not miss it. there is something to be set about turning back and forth

when you read on your side in your bet because you can reap one side of the bookstore sits inside reading your favorite book for the classics. as long as there are people like me we switch back and forth these are the best memories we have that i like the smell of books also. [applause] >> if the defenders of print -- printed did not hire you and put you up to that, then surely, they will because that was a wonderful expression. i know your friend does not really disagree but it is a

great struggle how we get to the word. we're in our last minutes. i love what she had to say. >> might core concept is will we have a real communication with print, or digital and how to make sure we have that? >> i think storytelling is what this is about. imf and of books i don't read any other way but what is important stories need to be told whether fiction or journalism committed is essential to our humanity. i don't see it going away. the printed word versus the digital word the, etc. comes down largely to pout and

what manner the folks will make a living. a lot of that's is up for grabs with the science of apocalypse is coming when the giants merge and they don't compete in the worst possible combination of their name you don't think random pain when is a good name? that is what got you in trouble. these are changing times but the importance of storytelling will never change so i will remain cautiously terrified optimistic. [laughter] >> if we went down the dark

ages we may have thought this guy was falling since the dawn of time there is stuff we just don't understand and things change. i can tell you how many devices i put my phone numbers and since 1978 and now i cannot remember. some changes, hopefully our health is the most important. it is scary. we don't know. when i was in first grade we would go outside in the hallway with duck and cover. so i am optimistic about the human race and on the day to day basis it annoys me but i

think writing is the highest form of transcendence that we have. it is still the thought that counts. >> i cannot tell you how many times i am on a panel about the future of the printed word and there are seats full and people turn out to for this and that gives me optimism. we will survive. the platform if it is the printed word i'd go with the might daughters to on walden pond one of the greatest used used bookstores in the country and the dusting is milled in the air. there is a romance of the

printed word also was concerned here or hologram i want the word to mean something and to exist with our audience. >> i will go with that the back to my daughter, she is looking to get into journalism but she gets all news from john stuart and steven cole there. [laughter] but she has a fascination with the written word i hope she would have stood up to say something similar to what this lady said but what the consumers get when not only have read state budget -- tuesday and read news and blues and i don't think it is that constructive but of

late to go back to what she said if better than anybody from the men in black. [applause] >> the men in black have come to their conclusion. each has a book out. i had a wonderful doody as a moderator to read their books i literally had the experience of enjoying the process. only through reading them i knew how i could connect the stories through fiction. [laughter] but breeding journalism is important. women said i speak the password primaeval i give this kind of democracy and

he was talking about the written word and poetry, whenever we call this, it will matter to us and it's democracy you have to have a journalism. please give the panel a final round of applause. [applause] >> big deferred joining us for live coverage of the tucson festival of books if you missed any of today's programs the entire coverage will air again at 1:00 a.m. eastern time.

[inaudible conversations] >> union membership hit a 97 year low last year.

fewer than imprison the roosevelt signed the national labor relations act. one at a 15 belong to unions. while the economy has changed radically since the '30's, unions have not. but they don't see it that way. they think the offer a product that is fine but employers are not buying it so it is not by redesigning of raised carmaking it relevant to twentieth century workers but for employees and employers to decline as save it services this is the of shortening the election time to three weeks or workers to decide in 18 days and the

gerrymander micro bargaining units will exclude employees who do not favor the decision to unionize. but not just at the borden level but with campaigns they moved to to pressure an employer rather than persuading the employees. this is not just be but the words of union organizers the former secretary-treasurer of the united food commercial workers 1951 he says who do you really need to convince the vintages of the union? employees or employers? with the nlrb putting enough pressure on employers time energy and money to get them

to surrender to the union this is called the pressure campaign. idle believe we have the luxury hoping to employees come knocking on our door looking for a solution. if that is the lifeblood that we have to create our own reality that means focusing on nonunion employers. and making them pay. but to wage economic war is it might turn the employees against union. if you have massive support you to have a traditional campaign. the advantages overwhelm whatever problems you may think. you don't need a majority. a few people are all that is necessary.

that is the attitude of many workers to put pressure to force the company to surrender year to date you discuss what it looks like a real-life is naomi klein ceo of a company that employs over 5,000 workers over 38 states than they have been locked in a battle with the mr. paige for him to surrender employees' rights to this secret ballot election. we also have with us teefourteen senior fellow at the manhattan institute and before that chief economist at department of labor and chief of staff with the president bush council of economic divisors also russ brown and vice president with the labor relations

institute. david? >> thank you james for having me here today. i want you to know i never envisioned this happening or something ever wanted to do travel around the country to talk about a topic like this. candidly i was put into this position by the mr. paige with the indiscriminate attack and on my family and i will tell you about that story in the background because i think that is important for what has transpired corporate campaign debts by 1,000 cats.

when i came out of school and was going to be a doctor the reason this is important, i became a turnaround specialist. the plant's number feeling i made successful. i took care of the employees and that management understand they were the biggest asset. i did that almost tenures and i left because i got tired of traveling around the country i went to work with the cleaning company became the general manager and i left him after three and a half years because he was the antithesis of what the management should be. he treated people poorly piranhas lead they deserve to be unionized. wear left the company then

my wife was scared to death a better future by this started i would start executive management services. i do get a little emotional at times. bear with me. i was committed to take care of our employees, there would be safe, do the right things, and have integrity. that is how we built the company. i started to clean small buildings myself and she went back to work as a legal secretary than reoffered benefits including health care that honestly does not happen a lot that we wanted to do the right thing as we continue to grow by 2006

with 33 states and 4,000 employees. we we're doing the right things with the lowest turnover rate in the past -- history but then the seiu appeared in santa letter saying we want to help your employees. they want me to sign the neutrality agreement. in this agreement if i signed it, i have to give up might employees' rights to the secret ballot election and give them a list of all employees and home addresses. because carjacking is in place and they will use

those to go to my employees' homes and intimidate them to sign union cards. all they had to do was get 50 percent plus one. in my last meeting i said i cannot sign that. franklin foer we embrace confrontation we will attack you, your employees, your customers and everybody related to you. i said i will not sign it. it is morally wrong. they started a corporate campaign immediately deaths by 1,000 cuts. distributed fliers fliers, intimidated employees as they cannot of work at night, every night they would force one employee to get into the union and give her

money, kept her car door shut she said no. i am happy. one night they said he will be you and if you like it or not, sign the card. she did. we have her affidavit. we won and finally beat that seiu. indianapolis, a st. louis , cincinnati, they use clergy people. they actually had clergy people shut down buildings by blocking the doors during the day. they would send letters to customers how bad reword and treated our employees bad and used bad equipment with dangerous chemicals. they wrote letters and gave them to the press that were

published they used a united states senator called hour largest customer asking to cancel our contract unless i signed the agreement. day after day these attacks occurred and you don't hear about this and the press but i am here to tell you it is true. it is happening every day. it needs to be stopped. the unions realize they're dinosaurs and they don't want to compete in the free market and understand that is what they have to do. instead they intimidate and push for carjack and this administration helps them through the nlrb, with the new posting rules, and many other regulations and they

are all designed to allow the unions to implement the corporate campaigns to be successful in a short period of time. that is the goal. i realized this and looking out my window and i said it has to stop. we cannot let the police when. -- chartwell education group. we will punish them in the nose. they cannot continue to harass my employees and family. they had a couple of tricks up their sleeves. this is a flyer they

distributed in my neighborhood halloween 2007 and used kids to get candy with a church retreat then they would hand these to my neighbors. then union thugs driving up in the streetcar. our neighbors were terrified. these are the things they do. do you remember the rallies in wisconsin? with the recall elections, a downtown indianapolis against my company. this is my company. it is sad they have to do these things. it is wrong. if they have something to

sell people would listen. so on that day i decided i need to talk to my people and go on the offensive and we did. i went to every building and talked to my people about what was going on. here is the amazing thing, i don't care about their background and wanted them to know i cared and i was in cincinnati talking to 40 full-time employees with the intimidation, and promises promises, a double your wages, not work as hard hard, before i got that out a black lady mid-50s waved her hand and said franklin foer may i speak? i had no idea what she would

say but she looked around the room and said you need to listen to this man they may double wages in new york but we have the right chemicals and equipment they make sure we are safe, they treat us right. you need to listen to him. everybody got up and applauded and understood. the problem is they cannot stand up with the intimidation factor people hold your car door shut or push their way into your house so i had to do more. we started to take the same attack and published a half page ad in the indianapolis

star so said mr. paige so they cut bait so few are so good we will tally the results. i forgot to tell you something. all of the plants then i turned around reunion plants. everyone of them. then restarted to file unfair labor practices against the seiu and one day in november 2008 refiled 33 unfair labor practices in one day. they did know what to do with that nobody had challenged them before nobody had stood up. the sad thing is there's a lot of businesses that won't do it today because i had them say we agree but we

don't know if we can withstand the onslaught the your under and read it once our name out there but we need to what is happening in washington with the nlrb could not only destroyed the secret ballot election but our economy because if businesses have to go thru this we see loss of jobs and productivity and we will not be competitive because people want to enforce there will on somebody else. this is the article we have a copy of that the day be filed 33 unfair labor practices. they didn't know what hit them. the great thing about this

the nlrb upheld three major ones it went to appeals hearing with the administrative law judge. in his decision to days later he said unequivocably yes was right. the testimony of the union was unbelievable and contrived. we won the decision and 50 they filed against us were thrown out. two days after that that decision was appealed by the united states government. you have to understand the link. the union's money is a money pompon in supports politicians to get into

office and they use it to pay back the unions and that is what has happened at the nlrb why they appealed our decision. it took almost one year but it finally went to the board and we won the decision. three / zero and our people were happy. the sad thing is there is all businesses over the midwest said did not stand up and the people are subjected to this paying union dues not making any more money. i am here today because they truly want to help people. the unions say they do but their goal is survival. the american public needs to know what is going on. i hope you'll listen i hope you will spread the word because this is wrong.

we need to do what is right for the american people. of thank you very much. [applause] >> that was a heartwarming presentation for our redbook it conveys what you said and everybody should by your book the devil is at our doorstep. it makes it so much more personal. i am just an economist i looked at these things through the data but i can see what most americans are concerned about it is economic growth and jobs and the problem is unions are

slowing down economic growth and job creation. will get wilberforce's purchase a patient rates are 1981 levels at the beginning of the decade with moving moving -- women moving into the work force with the reagan revolution. we have three-point to million fewer jobs than the beginning of the recession and obama has created 1.2 million jobs net total about 300,000 per year, that is not enough to keep america going. gdp in the fourth quarter was slightly negative now will be slightly positive

after the new trade figures but that we have paul laboratory with the right to work state and the force unionization with 1/2 to join a union as a condition of working. over the past 25 years, the 20 to right to work states have created one point* five times as many jobs as a forced unionization states. there has been more union jobs created in right to work states than forced unionization. if they were truly interested in their own best interest in the economy every state would be right to work there would be more increase of union membership.

such as obama as well or the job creation of union and nonunion members alike. the union membership rate declined to in the eight years of president bush and by the same amount of the four years of president obama and his policies are leading to a faster rate of the decline of union membership then-president bush and the data was mentioned from before 11 point* 8% and 11-point to% private-sector and six point* six in 2012. government declined 37%.

if you look at what president obama has done looked at what he did to boeing when he wanted to expand in south carolina. these are union jobs and wanted to open a second plant with too many orders because the streamliners will roll out again but president obama, the acting general counsel of the nlrb did not want them to open the second plant in south carolina once it was built they did not want to use it. that was thousands of jobs in there relatively poor region north of charleston they wanted to open a second plant in washington state. that means any company wanting to come to the

united states, will not open a plant in a forced unionization state because they know if they want to move to the right to work state to or open a second plant there will have problems from the nlrb. that goes against creating more union jobs and if you look at the keystone pipeline that the president vetoed that would have tens of thousands of union jobs in construction but the president vetoed and created jobs in the gulf of mexico with the most efficient refineries oil supplies to mexico or dwindling and we need that from canada to be shipped down through the pipelines to the refineries so the workers working these

jobs have more oil to refine that we can export instead, the oil will go west and shipped to china and they can use it, we cannot. just a couple more examples like that the epa which the call regulation those -- coal regulation costing jobs that means over 100 coal-fired power plants have closed down since january 2010. with the evaluation the epa has no cost for the car been ruled because it is with the cost-benefit analysis no new coal-fired power plants would ever be built there

for no cost. that is simple for the epa but not the call letters were using -- losing their jobs. looking at gm and chrysler the present gave the assets to the big united daughter workers instead of the legitimate creditors. that does not help investment if people know the laws will be overturned and investments expropriated this and they will invest some morales such as singapore -- somewhere else such as singapore. so i want to end that george orwell would have loved the term that the president and the unions used with the

neutrality agreement. a gave all the information to the unions, it took away the right to a secret ballot. the employee free choice act. it is not free choice it takes away the right of the secret ballot and imposes mandatory arbitration on unions. finally i wrote an article about official time that government workers spent not working for the government but for their union and there are 35 people at the department of transportation who spend all there-- not doing anything for the federal government but only working for their union. 17 of these are air-traffic controllers and 16 of these

are paid six-figure salaries and for some reason it is called the official time. george orwell would have loved it and also david's book that you should buy. thank you for inviting me. [applause] >> i cannot tell you how important as you chronicled these atrocious events that has taken place in your life. outside the beltway for a business to make it is hard enough and american businessmen going against these type of odds is unbelievable. you went toe to toe and have faired very well. the battle goes on. we have similar backgrounds.

two different businesses and into different parts of the country, but i was a businessman with 1200 employs in the union's came after me so instead of chronicling and writing a great book, with the business to take on the union on the individual basis and working on policy itself. i see every day the playbook used by that seiu and other unions to force businesses into unionization. without an election. we know about the play book it came out at this index so hearing and it advocates criminal action it talks about the death by 1,000 cuts it is unbelievable it

could exist without any action. i want to talk about the social justice groups that are out there. jobs with justice, able to union coalition, justice for janitors the seiu grew. the ngo it goes on and on. the neutrality agreement the mission with all groups is simple common name and shame. truth and justice has nothing to do with it. they work hard and soft was

-- was to basically defame an employer that goes against them. i want to give you an example of a neutrality agreement that is out there. look on page three paragraph four is says employers will not file a petition with the nlrb before election in connection with union demand for recognition. you cannot challenge them. just take their word for it in the employer is left out. forget freedom of association. the neutrality agreements

take place even further out to. through international framework agreements. one example most people heard of a security company. . . s they provided security for the olympics. they had a subsidiary in the u.s. they would take on that seiu they did not get a ground at the time teethree worked the triangular situation. what took place is it had a contractor working for them in south africa they're doing protest and started to

put pressure on the corporate headquarters in london, got language with the international framework agreement down to neutrality and did 2009 they recognize the aesthesia use your card check. lot of companies had these international agreements. deutsche telekom and t mobil have had a similar situation , h idem, the retailer, and ups in reverse the teamsters leverage their root relationship in turkey for a contract. on a policy level we have got to make sure we allow the employee to always have

that election. you cannot force an employer to go into a campaign and. bentley's the employee has a say so. that is all i have got. [applause] >> will open to questions but first david coming going through the article that was written in the '90s with david pioneered the practice "my local blind to 51 in michigan subscribes to this policy, he talks about

passing the nlrb. >> by either a ratified it signed collective bargaining agreement orate a significant nine union operators business including shutting it down. neither will ocher by relying on the nlrb. so he describes a successful campaign to close a family food occurs restore to just show -- shut down in the 1990's there were convinced the nlrb would not be the entity to help them do that. do you have any thoughts of what they have been proposing to change the rules? how will that change the

impact to the purchase their services? >> it is simple. during the corporate campaign the death of 1,000 cuts is to get the employer to cave. right now they need more tools especially after we won because people have learned like people like russ and national right to work they are represented in the back of the room, they help people fight through the situations. here is the key. one of the things that you don't know the national employee free choice act, i carjack comment there was a secret ballot "the shock doctrine" -- they also have

the employer finds if you are found guilty they want to attach a $10,000 fine for good you are a business man and they through these out here like a spitball on the wall and some stick, how many could you afford? that is the piece of leverage to go to the honor to say that you just sign a neutrality agreement we will withdraw of the practices and the fines go away. through regulation changes and overturning decisions is what they're trying to accomplish. many units or micro units is designed to give unions the upper hand with the corporate campaign.

>> i have a small comment. the people don't know the posting role be no quick elections that could do say so more words of people but no? >> the person leading role from the department of labor we go there right now we have another campaign with another union but if you use outside consultants or attorneys to help you win the election, you have to disclose that information. on the flip side the unions do not have to do that. it is designed to put pressure on you. posting rules. they want to post an application rooms across the country employs have the right to form a union.

not that you have the right not to be unionized. >> that is a legal. >> was overturned. >> then was quick elections is to be 42 and now they wanted and seven days because they already intimidated people to sign the union card then they know the company doesn't have enough time to sit down and say that is not the way you have to vote. we had won election in southern ohio at a steel mill and with a different union and they petitioned and we said fine. 42 days just like so lot. each week i sat down and spoke to the employees the first time i said please understand just because you

understand -- sign a card to agree to the election, they only need 30% does not mean you have to vote that way. that is what is precious about the secret ballot election you could see the weight taken off their shoulders. afterwards half of them said thank you for telling us that. the ovaries and resigned as because they would follow us around the plant and we gave up. that is why this is so important we expose this and make sure people are protected. >> also the of it to most recently appointed members of the nlrb were nullified

by the u.s. court of appeals. so they're no longer on the board it is just one person and ask to be closed down and tell people can be appointed so that means all the rules they promulgated last year are not legal either because the appointees were not legal. >> also mentioning the maker union -- micro union. normally they have to have a collection to share the common interest. with a micro unit they go against what is traditionally considered common interest and carve out different sections of employees like a department store where every in person

has the same benefits, pay wage they may only take the people in the shoe department and sporting goods leaving out to everybody else only giving them a the toehold and work on the rest as they go. they also carve up the company's. >> with the election what is so important, we had 26 people working at this facility. if it was seven or 10-- that i had a chance that number one they had the secret ballot election and vote their conscience bay -- a probably would have lost but over 42 days we had continued meetings and one

and people understood there rights despite the fact one employee said we appreciate you coming to talk to us. i wish you could debate the union. said that what happened he said it is no big deal if they have pizza and wings and a beer for us to weeks per night at the local pub. [laughter] >> that is the unfair labor practice against us. >> if you did it? >> you cannot give employees anything of value. if the employer did anything like that would face the $10,000 fine which is the spirit to shut up and not say anything. >> any more questions?

>> can you talk about the cost you incurred fighting this with time and money? >> just in attorney fees we spent around $1 billion. how much personal time and management time, we never sat down and calculated but i'm sure you could double it >> speeeleven usually the first thing i tell them is don't do anything until you

consulted with an attorney because there is so many pitfalls some just say i will talk to my employees to sorted out. you took on the tasks but did you run into pitfalls when you could or could not say or other potential charges? with your choice to do it personally or to that overwhelm the risk? >> we did use the attorneys in their present but i felt it was important by employees knew how i felt. i told them if they want an election and they have the election and you decide that is fine, but i don't believe

in people being intimidated into something they don't want to do. i came away from zero meetings feeling we failed in our message. and it did not hurt us with more unfair labor practices. >> i have a quick question i know the nlrb only has one member functionally but. >> said to recess appointees refuse to step down. >> it probably has no legal significance but if they try

to at kidder around how does this interplay? >> the first aspect, the nlrb has a lot of tools the things you think ought to be common sense if you go to and tear gate -- saying i think there has been a good boss it would be a common sense question but it is not to allow that is unfair labor practice or i am sorry i did not realize he did not like the health benefits plan we will overhaul to make sure you cover the conditions you want to that is called promising. intuitively it would be o.k. but you are not allowed to

do. so you will trip unless you have good counsel and the unions throw everything against the wall. employer xyz accused of 500 practices and no one should trust them. they are good to use them as it now stands but they have concluded it is not enough. and the board is not sufficient so they tried to expand powers to shorten the time frame, with the additional role was around 18 days and now when it or. or the micro units in a department store