" The protests are carefully stage-managed and scripted. In past “strikes,” protestors across different places and locations have been observed using the same talking points and anecdotes."

Who’s Behind the Curtain of the Fast Food “Strikes”?; Thanking the Police That Arrest Your Protesters

Robert Wenzel

The Employment Policies Institute in September released a media advisory ahead of Thursday’s coordinated fast-food “strikes” planned in major cities nationwide. Below are three key background points about these "strikes":

The protests are not a “grassroots” effort. They are being stage-managed by BerlinRosen, a New York-based PR firm that’s received over $8 million from labor unions for PR work in just the last two years—roughly 40 percent of which came from the SEIU. View a chart of the funding breakdown here.

The protests are carefully stage-managed and scripted. In past “strikes,” protestors across different places and locations have been observed using the same talking points and anecdotes. One columnist looking to speak with a fast food worker was directed to a PR agent with BerlinRosen.

The Associated Press described BerlinRosen’s media playbook:

In major cities, for example, TV crews and other media are alerted of a time and location the day before a large rally is planned. The crowd will then flood the restaurant, with workers and others speaking before dispersing or moving to another location after about a half hour.

[It] wasn’t clear how many participants were fast-food workers, rather than campaign organizers, supporters or members of the public relations firm that has been coordinating media efforts.

The promise of “civil disobedience” at a recent protest was according to EPI a PR stunt. The plannes arrests are a frequent tactic of the SEIU and will be carefully managed by the union. They are being done only for media value. The SEIU and its President Mary Kay Henry orchestrated a similar act of “civil disobedience” at the McDonald’s headquarters this spring. However, a Twitter photo then showed her casually talking with and thanking the local police.

Link:
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2014/10/whos-behind-curtain-of-fast-food.html