We’ve talked a lot about the devastating effects of corporate cash on elections following the Citizens United decision, but a new story in The Nation shows that the Supreme Court’s also made it a lot easier for companies to pressure their employees directly about voting.
Mark Ames and Mike Elk got a copy of the Koch Industries’ Washington state election packet, which, they write, was given to each of the company’s employees—50,000 nationwide—and included a cover letter from the company’s president, a list of Koch-endorsed state and federal candidates, and the company newsletter, which espouses right-wing views.
And after the court majority effectively rewrote election law, this is all perfectly legal.
What’s worse, they note, is that apparently the same employers who are free to propagandize and pressure their workers are also free to ban other information being distributed in the workplace—information about unions, for example.
Anti-union propaganda in the workplace is nothing new—recently a Home Depot anti-union video leaked to the Web, and though it’s been removed, its content was much like the content of the Kochs’ message here—you don’t need unions, your benevolent corporate overlords have your best interests at heart as they fight Big Labor to bring you your meager wage.
Substitute Big Government for Big Labor and you’ll have the gist of the Kochs’ package. Now imagine people across the country being handed recommended voting lists at the door as they walk in to work, while the union organizers are kept far away and the Koch-supported candidates are cutting union rights in the statehouses and legislatures coast to coast.
It’s time to fight back against the money corrupting our politics, before being bombarded with propaganda is just part of the workday.
The F Word is a regular commentary by Laura Flanders, the host of GRITtv which broadcasts weekdays on satellite TV (Dish Network Ch. 9415 Free Speech TV) on cable, and online at GRITtv.org and TheNation.com. Support us by signing up for our podcast, and follow GRITtv or GRITlaura on Twitter.com.
Some years ago, one of the managers for the company I work for arrived in the morning with a local candidate for office. I was going to vote for that candidate. After his appearance, I voted for someone else. I’d suggest just this tactic to those who are being “pressured” to vote for their company’s favorite candidates. Until we lose the right to a secret ballot, voting is a private matter. The good thing about this “pressure” is that “they” have revealed who is in their pockets. Now that we know, we can use that against them.