Union activists affiliated with the WakeUpWalMart.com campaign circulated a petition this week via e-mail demanding the Federal Election Commission investigate whether Wal-Mart has violated federal election laws. The multinational corporation, the campaign pointed out, may have broken the law when it held mandatory meetings for many of its employees this summer that appeared to "to intimidate rank-and-file employees into voting Republican."
Last week, an article in the Wall Street Journal revealed that Wal-Mart held mandatory meetings to convince employees that a Democratic victory would mean that Wal-Mart employees might have an easier chance of unionizing Wal-Mart stores and outlets.
Specifically, Wal-Mart told its employees, according to the article, that a Democratic victory will usher in the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. The Employee Free Choice Act has already passed in the US House and would remove barriers faced by workers who want to join labor unions.
The bill essentially imposes heavier sanctions against employers who use illegal threats and harassment to prevent workers from exercising their right to join a union.
Wal-Mart has fought for decades against labor union organizing in its stores. A recent e-mail alert from another organization, Wal-Mart Watch, said, "With weakened workers' rights, Wal-Mart can bully its employees to skip breaks and work 'off the clock' for no pay."
The alert also pointed out that "Wal-Mart has received numerous fines for violating the Family and Medical Leave Act – firing employees for taking federally protected medical leave." Wal-Mart Watch is circulating its own online petition that will be sent to the company's executives telling them to stop intimidating workers.
In 2007, Human Rights Watch published a report documenting Wal-Mart's systematic violation of workers rights in its stores. According to the report, the company uses unlawful threats of retaliation against employees, spying, and mandatory "captive audience" meetings to instill its anti-union message along with its threats to new employees.
Most of these actions are illegal, but legal sanctions are so minimal that Wal-Mart has little incentive to obey the law, the report stated. The Employee Free Choice Act would provide that incentive.
One anonymous employee said the message of the mandatory Wal-Mart meetings was clear. "I am not a stupid person. They were telling me how to vote," the Wall Street Journal article quoted her as saying. Other employees were told that voting for John McCain was the right choice to make.
The WakeUpWalMart.com petition states, "Wal-Mart's motives are a moot point. The company has crossed the line, again, and it's time to hold them accountable."
