Wal-Mart and Cintas Campaign Against Pro-worker Legislation
Today's WSJ shows just how important the Employee Free Choice Act [EFCA]is to creating a more equal America and addressing corporate power -- Wal-Mart and Cintas are fighting to stop this legislation which would help protect workers who want to unionize. EFCA is a key part of making jobs safer and fixing the income inequality crisis.
I've written on Daily Kos about Cintas, a company that has violated employees' rights under federal labor law and supported weaker regulation of hazardous solvents.
Now Cintas is trying to affect who their employees support in Congress in the interest of promoting their corporate agenda. The Cintas Votes website asks employees to lobby members of congress against the Employee Free Choice Act. Given the stories we've heard from workers it is hard to imagine why someone would turn to Cintas or Wal-Mart for political guidance (union gal makes this point well). However, when you consider the power employers can exercise over their employees in non-union situations and the new big budget anti-EFCA TV ad campaign that the corporate lobby is funding, we all need to do our part to speak truth to power.
Cintas' political website aimed at their employees lists how members of congress voted on legislation that the company supports. It is interesting what legislation Cintas favors: the repeal of the estate tax and passing the Peru Free Trade Act -- not exactly a populist agenda, am I right people?
Cintas spokeswoman Heather Trainer says in the WSJ article,
We feel it's important that our employee partners fully understand the implications that the Employee Free Choice Act could have on their work environment and benefits,
But government statistics show that workers who join a union have better healthcare and pensions and earn 27% more than their non-union equivalents. Union workers also are more likely to stand up for safer jobs.
Cintas and Wal-Mart aren't the only companies funding this attack on pro-worker legislation (from the WSJ)
Business-backed organizations are also running ads aimed at building opposition to the bill, including the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, which counts several hundred industry associations as members. Another group, the Employee Freedom Action Committee, is run by former tobacco lobbyist Rick Berman. The groups, which aren't affiliated with each other, say they have a total of $50 million in funding. Neither will disclose which companies or individuals have provided funding.
In addition to this website, Cintas executives have poured tons of money into the GOP and into anti-EFCA organizations like Newt Gingrich's American Solutions for Winning the Future.
American Rights at Work has a page exposing the well-funded anti-union network (when multi-national corporations are your constituency it is easy to get money)
All of this legislative conflict plays out in very real ways in the lives of Cintas workers. So keep an eye on UNITE HERE's diaries about the Painful Truth Tour.
Follow Elana Levin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/workersunited
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END SLAVERY NOW!!!
we did get rid of slaver in the 1800's
If you are not mining coal......
Well you ARE an authority on the OLD WORLD.
yes unions have got to go
Capitalism is an Old World idea that has failed miserably. Not only are we going to organize, we are going to radically alter the political landscape forever.
If you're a fan of status-quo corporate fascism, you'd better start shopping for a new country.
great your a socialist.
Perhaps CHINA?
i have never stated i liked fascism...
EDUCATION!
SOLIDARITY!
BACKBONE!
AMERICA has done it BEFORE!
It's time to STEP UP and DEFY the GLOBAL CORPORATE MONIED ELITE!
America has gone socialistic when......
if you don't like minimum wage change it........
insurance is for full time EMPs......
I don't believe that there is a safety issue.....
walmart EMPs have voted down a union how many times before....
America has gone socialistic when......
Corrupt, irresponsible corporate monopolies are bailed out by the same middle-class taxpayers who are getting f***ed by the corporate monopolies. Your pro-corporate comments are as funny as they are ignorant.
If you like fascism, find another country. In America, we like unions.
companies like these two want nothing more than slave labor.It is a crying shame that corprate greed has gotten so out of hand that Walmart and Cintas need to tell their employees how to vote.Peopl
How can keeping the vote private be a bad thing? That way, no matter what pressure is exerted from the company or the union, you can vote your conscience knowing it remains private.
If the bill did not benefit the employee's bottom line, why do the Global Corporations oppose it?
this country was built on a secret ballot....
THE BEST ECONOMY America ever experienced was when Union Membership was at its HIGHEST! Corporations are NOT in the business of creating middle class wealth and stability,
THE AMERICAN WORKER, the producer of EVERYTHING in America, had to FORCE them to pay decent wages.
STAND UP to CORPORATE GREED!!!!
BOYCOTT AND ORGANIZE!!!!!
Thanks for all the informative links. Until yesterday, I had never heard of EFCA. As a current union member I live with the benefits and understand the necessity of organized labor. I will educate myself for the fight!
The family that controls Cintas is on the Forbes 400 list and are worth billions. See Richard Farmer.
good for them......
NO STRONG UNIONS = NO MIDDLE CLASS!
amen!
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