HUFFPOST HILL - Unions Push Change.org To Remain Progressive

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/huffpost-hill---mitt-romn_n_1677893.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-hill

Posted: 07/16/2012 5:51 pm Updated: 07/17/2012 5:00 pm

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UNIONS PRESSURING CHANGE.ORG - The fight over the soul of Change.org is ongoing in the wake of its decision to drop Michelle Rhee under pressure from organized labor. AFT, the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, CWA, IBEW and the Steelworkers sent a letter last week to the progressive for-profit company noting that they are "very concerned that you have not yet defined a clear policy regarding prospective clients who have a history of attacking workers and supporting the dismantling of public services...We ask that you issue a response clarifying your position so that we can use your platform again and in good conscience recommend it to our brothers and sisters in labor and in the wider progressive community." That's not exactly threatening a boycott, but consider Change warned. Spokesman Benjamin Joffe-Walt replies: "As we've noted, Change.org is undertaking a company-wide process to evaluate and clarify our client policy. As part of this process, we are reaching out to thousands stakeholders across the Change.org community through surveys and in-person meetings, including with the organizations represented in this letter. We are eager to engage with the millions of people who interact with Change.org every day, and we we will continue to actively seek input from this diverse community as part of this process."

UPDATE: Joffe-Walt takes issue with the description of Change.org as a "progressive for-profit," noting that many of those who start a petition are not themselves progressive, and so the organization shouldn't be described as such. And Change is a Certified B Corporation, which is distinct from a pure for-profit company in that it re-invests profits back into the company itself, rather than divvying them out to shareholders or other owners.

ROMNEY OVERSAW TROUBLED COMPANIES FROM 1999-2002 - Sorry, Mitt. You're stuck with it. Sam Stein with one: "Romney and Bain invested more than $45 million into [printed circuit board manufacturer DDi Corp] in the late 1990s, taking over controlling interest. Profitable years ensued. When the economy turned sour, so too did the company's fortunes -- but not without Bain taking its cut of the pie. According to the Orange County Register -- the California-based company's hometown paper -- Bain raised $39 million in October 2000 by selling DDi shares. In February 2001, Bain raised $54 million by selling more shares. Bain also received $10 million in management fees. Romney, who as part of common industry practice had bought personal stock in the company, sold his DDi shares for $4.1 million in May 2000. According to an August 2003 Boston Globe article, Romney 'remained well in 2001 as a general partner in three of the four Bain funds involved in the DDi transactions.'" [HuffPost]

FULL story at link.