Tell the FEC to Investigate Wal-Mart for Electioneering

American Rights at Work is demanding the Federal Election Commission investigate Wal-Mart for electioneering.  This comes on the heels of The Wall Street Journal's report that exposed Wal-Mart for telling its employees not to vote for Barack Obama and other pro-worker candidates who support the Employee Free Choice Act.  Over 40,000 people have already signed the petition from American Rights at Work, which they're planning to deliver to the FEC this Thursday. 

As I reported earlier, EFCA would enable workers to unionize more easily, fostering job stability, fair wages, and adequate health care benefits.  To be sure, it would be a  nightmare for Wal-Mart, which has already spent millions quashing employees' efforts to unionize using intimidation, discrimination, retaliation, and rapid response teams flown in on private jets.  According to Michael Whitney of America Rights at Work, Wal-Mart's latest anti-union propaganda ploy wasn't the company's first assault on EFCA either.  Wal-Mart has been funding the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, a $30 million campaign that belies its name by working on behalf of anti-union lobbyists and right-wing policy groups to spread lies about EFCA and the candidates who back it.

The fact is that the majority of American workers—60 million—say they would support a union if they could.  So don't be duped by right wingers who claim EFCA isn't in workers' best interests, or that it's a divisive piece of legislation for Democrats.  Just this past weekend, conservatives and business groups alike were thrilled by George McGovern's anti-EFCA tirade in Friday's WSJ.  But as Ian Welsh at FireDogLake noted, McGovern is in bed with loathsome lobbyist Rick Berman and his Center for Union Facts, another deviously named, highly well-funded anti-union campaign working with Wal-Mart.    

As the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart must be forced to set a better example regarding labor practices.  And here's our chance to make them by signing American Rights at Work's petition.  If Wal-Mart broke the law by threatening and scaring employees about which candidates to vote for this November, compel the FEC to hold the company accountable.  For more on Wal-Mart's anti-union ways, check out Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.

Comments

[1sparrow]

is this a rupert murdock publication? excuse my ignorance . egad they do look after themselves.

[vietveter]

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

[foreffectivegovernment]

The FEC should investigate Churches for Electioneering first. They're tax exempt for being non-political and Wal-Mart isn't. They have every right to present their views to their employees and everyone else as long as it is not in the form of a sermon.
The Government is just jealous because Wal-Mart did more for the people after Katrina than FEMA did.
Wal-Mart is not perfect but it is better than Exxon/Mobil, Enron, etc.
They provide a needed service to America and only sold American goods until the Government allowed all manufacturing to go overseas. Direct your hate toward the real culprits.

[dukeitout]

You say "The FEC should investigate Churches for Electioneering first. They're tax exempt for being non-political and Wal-Mart isn't. They have every right to present their views to their employees and everyone else as long as it is not in the form of a sermon."----- This is about what I wanted to say. Since it is unfashionable to even mildly criticize religion (don't want to go to hell do ya), I will just add that the religious elite (you know who you are) are getting bolder and bolder about promoting specific candidates. Wal-Mart is simply carrying on a tradition of employee intimidation in a good ole cut-throat business way.

[CountMyVote]

Let us EDUCATE YOU for a second here. Wal-Mart, Look into how many GOVERMENT SUBSIDIES they are given every time they open a store in a town. Look at CITY, COUNTY AND STATE AS WELL AS FEDERAL. Wal-Mart. Look at how much $ they use as tax deductions EVERY year with "charitable donations". I'll give you a few clues.. All that CMN money they take in, that is not donated by Wal-Mart.. Actually almost none of it is donated by Wal-Mart. The hourly employees organize events to raise the funds so that Wal-Mart can get tax breaks. Your Katrina comment. You think that that was not a HUGE tax break for them? Were in you a Wal-Mart where tables were set up with the big 5 Gallon jugs taking donations for the Hurricane Relief? It was done under donations. Wal-Mart didn't scare up that money, the good people of the UNITED STATES did. Wal-Mart got the HUGE TAX breaks. The Tsunami.. Wal-Mart did the same thing. CUSTOMERS donated the money WAL-MART TOOK THE TAX BREAKS. So in order for you to want effective Gov. Continue to research just how shady Wal-Mart is on EVERY level there is. then come back and tell me or any one else that the Gov is jealous of them.Bush has handed them all their tax breaks Get educated,do the research reveal the truth to yourself..

[coolmaiden]

There's nothing I would like to see more than Wal-Mart getting nailed on this and being forced to treat their employees better. However, it ain't gonna happen. As long as millions of people are willing to sacrifice choice and diversity in the marketplace for "convenience" and "low price," Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers will reign supreme over this once-great land. "Beware the shopocalypse!"-Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping.

[hopeless277]

Sorry but the FEC only investigates Democratic wrongdoing. If you are a Republican, nothing you do is illegal.

[CountMyVote]

Amen to that... look into how many FEDERAL laws Wal-Mart has broken in their Anti Union quest over the last few years... Thousands of laws are broken.. Nothing done.. Then again they had thousands of child labor law violations and got away with something like a 500K fine??? How wrong is that.. That is our government saying "well all the clothes they sell are made under child labor law violations, why isn't it ok to violate child labor laws in the stores."