Monday, May 18, 2009
Republican appointees to the Federal Election Commission found nothing illegal in the actions by Wal-Mart during last year’s election when the giant retailer was accused of pushing its employees to vote against Barack Obama and other Democrats. The three Democratic members of the commission voted to charge Wal-Mart with violating campaign finance laws, but the three Republican members voted in favor of Wal-Mart. Because of the tie vote, complaints filed with the FEC against Wal-Mart were dismissed.”
The Wall Street Journal reported last August that Wal-Mart stores were “mobilizing” store managers and department supervisors around the country to lobby employees into voting against Democrats in the November 2008 election. The message middle management was supposed to convey was: If Democrats win the White House, federal laws will be changed to make it easier for Wal-Mart employees to unionize.
Numerous Wal-Mart employees told the newspaper that their bosses warned of unionization, claiming it would result in hefty union dues, few benefits, and even fewer available jobs. Company human-resources managers did not specifically tell employees how to vote, but still made their message crystal clear, said one store supervisor in Missouri. “The meeting leader said, ‘I am not telling you how to vote, but if the Democrats win, this bill will pass and you won’t have a vote on whether you want a union.’ I am not a stupid person. They were telling me how to vote.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
FEC Dismisses Wal-Mart Complaints (by Alex Knott, CQ Politics)
Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win (By Ann Zimmerman and Kris Maher, Wall Street Journal)
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