Are Maine’s media outlets so hard up that they have to accept bogus ads such as the ones being produced by the so-called “Coalition for a Democratic Workplace?”

Talk about a misnomer. That lobbying group is merely a front for multinational corporate interests whose members include the Retail Industry Leaders Association, of which its biggest member is the notoriously anti-union Wal-Mart.

Rep. Tom Allen is being targeted by attack ads because of his support of H.R. 800, the Employee Free Choice Act, which was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2007 by a vote of 241 to 185.

First off, the measure does not take voting by secret ballot away from workers. In fact, the bill would ensure workers of the option of choosing their own union formation process, either through majority sign-up or a National Labor Relations Board election. The new process could eliminate protracted, expensive elections within an atmosphere that is free of corporate threats or coercion.

Rep. Tom Allen meets Mainers every day whose wages have stagnated and benefits have eroded. He is aware of the importance of allowing workers to bargain for higher wages and better benefits that are so essential in restoring the middle class.

Patti Mikkelsen, New Gloucester