If I told you that SEIU president Andy Stern calls corporations who encourage their employees not to unionize “communists”, would you be waiting for a punch line?

Here’s the quote from the Cornell Daily Sun:

Sun: Despite the concern, why has America’s unionization rate been falling for the past several decades?

A.S.: It’s a combination of three factors. […]The private sector has decided that they want to give people a communist choice, which is no union. That’s all they really want on their ballot, and anyone who really tries to buck the domination and tyranny of the employer will pay a price.

Sun: What do you mean by a communist choice?

A.S.: I’m just saying that in the communist countries when they have elections, there’s really only one choice. What employers want is to make it very clear there’s only one choice as far as they’re concerned, which is no union.

I’d say Andy Stern understands hyperbole, but perhaps he lacks judgment when it comes to metaphors. Let me share with you a favorite Andy Stern quote:

“What we’re working towards is building a global organization because “Workers of the world, unite!” — it’s not just a slogan anymore. It’s a way we have to do our work.”