Wal-Mart denies that it told employees how to vote

Fri Aug 1, 2008 11:20 AM EDT
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NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, denied a report Friday that it had pressured employees to vote against Democrats in November because of worries that a bill the party supports would make it easier for workers to unionize.

The measure, called the Employee Free Choice Act, would allow labor organizations to unionize workplaces without secret ballot elections. It was co-sponsored by Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate, and opposed by John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee.

A report in The Wall Street Journal said the Bentonville, Ark.-based discounter — which has rigorously resisted being unionized — had held mandatory meetings with store managers and department supervisors in recent weeks to warn that if Democrats take power in November, they would likely push through the bill, which the company says would hurt workers.

Wal-Mart spokesman Dave Tovar told The Associated Press that the company did discuss the bill with its employees, including what it sees as the negative impact, and noted that the company's stand on the legislation is no secret.

"We believe the Employee Free Choice Act is a bad bill and we have been on the record as opposed to it," he said.

But he said the company wasn't advocating that its employees vote against backers of the legislation.

"If anyone representing Wal-Mart gave the impression... they are wrong and acting without approval," said Tovar. In fact, he said that Wal-Mart has been working with both Republicans and Democrats.

"Half of our (political action committee) contributions are to members of each party," Tovar said. "We regularly educate our associates on issues which impact our company, and this is an example of that."

The reported actions by Wal-Mart raised concerns among labor groups that the company, the nation's largest private employer with 1.4 million workers, has the power to exert influence in the elections.

"They're trying to bully the American political" scene, said Stewart Acuff, assistant to the president of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor organization.

Wal-Mart may also be on thin ice as federal election rules allow businesses to push for specific political candidates to shareholders, executives and salaried managers, while prohibiting such actions for hourly workers, which typically include department supervisors.

The Wall Street Journal cited about a dozen unidentified Wal-Mart employees who had attended such meetings in seven states as saying they were told that employees at unionized shops would have to pay big union dues while not receiving any benefits in return.

Furthermore, workers said they were told that unionization would mean job losses as costs rise, according to the report. The report said the Wal-Mart human resource managers who held the meetings didn't specifically tell the employees how to vote, but made it clear that a Obama victory would mean unionization.

Wal-Mart Watch, a union-backed group that has criticized the company for what it calls skimpy pay and benefits and poor treatment of its workers, said in a statement that the article "demonstrates once again that Wal-Mart intimidates its workers." The group, which supplied some of the sources to The Wall Street Journal, said the stories cited in the article are "consistent" with numerous reports it has received in the past week.

The development could deal a blow to Wal-Mart's reputation just as the company has started seeing its image improve and criticism diminish as it works to improve benefits and push through its "Save money, live better" campaign.

In a session with reporters after the company's annual shareholders meeting in June, Wal-Mart President and CEO Lee Scott said Wal-Mart was comfortable working with either presidential candidate. In the past, Wal-Mart had lined up with the Republicans. But the company's message of environmental sustainability, its program to offer $4 prescription drugs and improved benefits for workers helped move the company to the political center.

"We stand ready to work with the new Congress and whoever is elected (president)," Tovar said Friday.

___

Anne D'Innocenzio reported from New York. Associated Press Writer Ann Sanner in Washington contributed to this report.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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{"commentId":2342310,"authorDomain":"jade-log"}
jade-log

"Furthermore, workers said they were told that unionization would mean job losses as costs rise, according to the report. The report said the Wal-Mart human resource managers who held the meetings didn't specifically tell the employees how to vote, but made it clear that a Obama victory would mean unionization."

This is a thinly veiled threat and a distortion. Unionization would increase the price of many products. The products are often imported from China. So part of Wal-Mart's expenses are paid to China and thus reduces the pay and benefits for it"s workers.

{"commentId":2342310,"threadId":"324169","contentId":"1713099","authorDomain":"jade-log"}
  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Fri Aug 1, 2008 12:48 PM EDT
{"commentId":2343457,"authorDomain":"jlt75"}
Wilfred of Ivanhoe

Anything that comes out of the corporate offices of Wally World cannot be trusted. Bank on it.

{"commentId":2343457,"threadId":"324169","contentId":"1713099","authorDomain":"jlt75"}
  • 1 vote
Reply#2 - Fri Aug 1, 2008 2:40 PM EDT
{"commentId":2344025,"authorDomain":"lindsey-butler"}
Lynn-395839

Of course they told them how to vote. People would likely be astonished at the number of companies that do so. A major bank in Texas forced all of it's upper management to donate $1000 to Pres. Bush's campaign fund in 2004 with the threat that if they did not they would not be eligible for promotion. That's about the time I quit. No one said anything, myself included, because there was no proof, and most of the people involved didn't want to make waves. Congrats to the Wal-Mart employees for doing what we should have and telling on them.

{"commentId":2344025,"threadId":"324169","contentId":"1713099","authorDomain":"lindsey-butler"}
  • 1 vote
Reply#3 - Fri Aug 1, 2008 3:52 PM EDT
{"commentId":2344444,"authorDomain":"mrmajek"}
MrMajek

I work at a paper company that has International in their name...and I know that they have had "political orientated" meetings. They have also "shared" literature that reflected detailes of who was running things when their stock made various moves.

{"commentId":2344444,"threadId":"324169","contentId":"1713099","authorDomain":"mrmajek"}
  • 1 vote
Reply#4 - Fri Aug 1, 2008 4:54 PM EDT
{"commentId":2352232,"authorDomain":"allowme3008"}
allowme3008

The meetings are part of the educational programs for the company to bring its employees up-to-dates of what's going on around the world and don't be left out from the news because most of the employees Wal-Mart employed are newly emigrants from other countries and have no idea of what's going on over here in the good ol' U.S. Wal-Mart was right about the unionization. It only bring up the costs and the lay-off. I guess that Obama is a bad news in this regard.

{"commentId":2352232,"threadId":"324169","contentId":"1713099","authorDomain":"allowme3008"}
    Reply#5 - Sat Aug 2, 2008 10:37 PM EDT
    {"commentId":2360786,"authorDomain":"chardansean"}
    charlotte r.

    I went to the meeting and how to vote WAS NEVER BROUGHT UP!!!!!
    I was there, not you, "me".... they were not "Anti Union". They only gave information. Voting and threats were never made.

    Why does anyone care? I don't care about where you work. I don't care about your benefits package, or lack there of.
    If you were getting screwed by your job, you have the option to go find another job elsewhere.
    So...... it must not be all that bad, or the 2 Million employees would probably be in a uproar!!!

    I am not hearing any uproar.....

    {"commentId":2360786,"threadId":"324169","contentId":"1713099","authorDomain":"chardansean"}
      Reply#6 - Mon Aug 4, 2008 11:50 AM EDT
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