---
[ IMPORTANT READS ](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads)
# Exposed: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Ignoring Members, Creating Policy Behind Closed Doors
April 04 2016
Written by Jon Queally.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
INSIDER REPORT-Did you know that a high percentage of powerful business executives represented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce or its more local affiliates actually support an increased minimum wage, paid sick days for employees, extended maternity and paternity leave, and other progressive policies that benefit workers and families?
If you didn't, there's a reason for that.
Newly [leaked materials](http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/04/13075/top-gop-pollster-chamber-commerce-lobbyists-poll-shows-your-members-support)—including results from internal polling of members and a webinar explaining how the results should be spun publicly—reveal just how far the business lobby group goes in order to hide that fact that many of the people and businesses it claims to represent don't actually agree with the regressive policies the Chamber pushes on local, state, and national governments.
"It think it is outrageous how the public and the press have been misled that businesses oppose these policies, by chamber lobbyists trotting out some business leader aligned with their anti-worker agenda even though most people—including most of their business members—support these policies, like increasing the minimum wage and paid sick leave." —Lisa Graves, Center for Media and DemocracyObtained by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) and [released publicly](http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/03/13072/chamber-commerce) on Monday, the results of the poll—conducted by LuntzGlobal, the prominent firm run by Republican pollster Frank Luntz—were accompanied by a revealing online presentation which explained to state Chamber of Commerce lobbyists how to "manipulate the public debate over those policies rather than implement the views of the business executives who were polled."
The poll, commissioned by Council of State Chambers (COSC), targeted 1,000 C-level executives (CEOs, CFOs, or COOs) who were members of their local chamber (46%), state chamber (28%), or the U.S. Chamber (16%). According to the results, there was lop-sided support for various pro-worker positions. Of those asked, 80% supported raising the state minimum wage, compared to only 8% who didn't. Meanwhile, paid sick time was supported by a margin of 73% to 16%. And asked about "more time off to take care of sick children or relatives," the executives supported it 83% to 5%.
However, as CMD [notes](http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/03/13074/luntz-poll-american-ceos-shows-deep-support-progressive-policies), there is no force in America in recent years that has "spent more time and effort to keep wages low than the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the state chambers that aggressively lobby against increasing the minimum wage."
During the webinar, Luntz himself explained to the participants the reasoning behind the results and how they could potentially be combated. "So what do these results all have in common?" he asks. "Well quite frankly they are all empathetic. If you ask about them in isolation, of course we want to give folks more benefits, or more leave, or more income..." But then, exposing the real purpose of the presentation, he adds, "So what we'll try and do is actually give you a few helpful hints on how to actually combat these in your states."
In other words, how to suppress the "empathy" of your members or distract them with other issues.
"With their internal polls showing that business owners and executives support raising the minimum wage by an overwhelming 80-to-8 percent, it's unconscionable that the U.S. Chamber and state chambers continue to fight the wage increases that America's workers and our economy need," said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project.
Here's a clip from the actual online presentation:
The *Washington Post*, which received an advanced look at the leaked documents, [notes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/04/leaked-documents-show-strong-business-support-for-raising-the-minimum-wage/) how the "materials shed light on how some business trade associations operate, and why they’ve continued to oppose minimum wage increases even as the rest of the public thaws towards them."
CMD executive director Lisa Graves says that this kind of behavior is exactly what people should expect from the Chamber of Commerce and its various affiliates. "They are pushing a national agenda that ignores the concerns of the overwhelming majority of Americans and of their own business members in the states," Graves told *Common Dreams* in an email. "The state business lobby has aggressively fought crucial workplace improvements that ordinary people and CEOs strongly support, and they are being taught by GOP pollsters how to spin words to try to overcome support for these popular policies."
"It think it is outrageous," she continued, "how the public and the press have been misled that businesses oppose these policies, by chamber lobbyists trotting out some business leader aligned with their anti-worker agenda even though most people—including most of their business members--support these policies, like increasing the minimum wage and paid sick leave."
*(jon Queally writes for [Common Dreams](http://commondreams.org) … where this Insider Report was first posted.)*
-cw
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
First Name
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/110 "Something You Should Know")
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/113 "Rhonda Haymon campaign")
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/housing/33413-with-national-implications-corporate-landlords-take-aim-at-three-pro-rent-control-campaigns-in-california)
### [With National Implications, Corporate Landlords Take Aim at Three Pro-Rent Control Campaigns in California](https://www.citywatchla.com/housing/33413-with-national-implications-corporate-landlords-take-aim-at-three-pro-rent-control-campaigns-in-california)
HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT - Corporate landlords and their high-powered lobbying group, the California Apartment Associat…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33444-lahsa-is-gone-but-the-homeless-industrial-complex-lives-on)
### [LAHSA Is Gone, but the Homeless-Industrial-Complex Lives On](https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33444-lahsa-is-gone-but-the-homeless-industrial-complex-lives-on)
HOMELESSNESS - Los Angeles’s homelessness program is in complete disarray, undermined by systemic gridlock, structural…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33434-karen-bass-trails-in-reelection-race-can-she-turn-it-around)
### [Karen Bass Trails in Reelection Race — Can She Turn It Around?](https://www.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33434-karen-bass-trails-in-reelection-race-can-she-turn-it-around)
WESTSIDE - As of September 27, 2026, Karen Bass is in a substantially weaker position than she was entering the June pr…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/finance/33442-the-settlement-bill-nobody-is-managing-inside-los-angeles-countys-sheriff-litigation-tab)
### [The Settlement Bill Nobody Is Managing — Inside Los Angeles County's Sheriff Litigation Tab](https://www.citywatchla.com/finance/33442-the-settlement-bill-nobody-is-managing-inside-los-angeles-countys-sheriff-litigation-tab)
THE NAVARRO REPORT - Last month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $12.5 million settlement over t…
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33431-the-unflinching-daily-horror-in-the-west-bank)
### [The Unflinching Daily Horror In The West Bank](https://www.citywatchla.com/voices/33431-the-unflinching-daily-horror-in-the-west-bank)
THE WEST BANK - More often than not, I find myself at a loss for words to convey Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the rele…
---
## [ IMPORTANT READS ](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33443-stronger-schools-together-lausds-smokescreen-for-keeping-families-ignorant)### [“Stronger Schools Together”: LAUSD’s Smokescreen for Keeping Families Ignorant](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33443-stronger-schools-together-lausds-smokescreen-for-keeping-families-ignorant)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33427-how-to-transport-fine-art-during-a-move)### [How to Transport Fine Art During a Move](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33427-how-to-transport-fine-art-during-a-move)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33423-lessons-in-transit-navigating-tokyos-neighborhoods-and-transit-friendly-accommodations)### [Lessons in Transit: Navigating Tokyo's Neighborhoods and Transit-Friendly Accommodations](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33423-lessons-in-transit-navigating-tokyos-neighborhoods-and-transit-friendly-accommodations)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33414-lausd-has-a-human-relations-commission-but-what-does-it-do)### [LAUSD Has a Human Relations Commission. But What Does It Do?](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33414-lausd-has-a-human-relations-commission-but-what-does-it-do)
[  ](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33383-how-a-criminal-record-can-affect-your-life)### [How a Criminal Record Can Affect Your Life](https://www.citywatchla.com/important-reads/33383-how-a-criminal-record-can-affect-your-life)