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McDonald’s Franchise Tells Employees Who to Vote For


Letter re: McDonald's
Here’s a truly horrific story that shows the state the United States of Corptocracy circa 2010. A McDonald’s franchise in Ohio sent a note in the paychecks of their workers urging them to vote for Republicans in next Tuesday’s elections. And they implicitly threatened to stop all wage and benefit increases if those Republicans do not win, essentially tying the future economic fortunes of their employees to their vote.

This violates Ohio law in addition to federal election laws, and the lawyer is suing.

It’s completely predictable, and I’m sure not the first time, that employers have intimidated their employees at work to vote for a particular candidate. Because of the Citizens United decision, this employer can now spend money on behalf of their preferred candidates in an unlimited fashion. This letter itself is basically an in-kind donation. But this behavior, as Allen Schulman says, an outgrowth of the arrogance of corporate interests in the wake of Citizens United, to think they can bully and purchase their way to electoral glory. The intimidation of workers here reflects the intimidation of politicians they don’t like by donating heavily to attack them.

CommunityThe Bullpen

McDonald’s Franchise Tells Employees Who to Vote For


Letter re: McDonald's
Here’s a truly horrific story that shows the state the United States of Corptocracy circa 2010. A McDonald’s franchise in Ohio sent a note in the paychecks of their workers urging them to vote for Republicans in next Tuesday’s elections. And they implicitly threatened to stop all wage and benefit increases if those Republicans do not win, essentially tying the future economic fortunes of their employees to their vote.

This violates Ohio law in addition to federal election laws, and the lawyer is suing.

It’s completely predictable, and I’m sure not the first time, that employers have intimidated their employees at work to vote for a particular candidate. Because of the Citizens United decision, this employer can now spend money on behalf of their preferred candidates in an unlimited fashion. This letter itself is basically an in-kind donation. But this behavior, as Allen Schulman says, an outgrowth of the arrogance of corporate interests in the wake of Citizens United, to think they can bully and purchase their way to electoral glory. The intimidation of workers here reflects the intimidation of politicians they don’t like by donating heavily to attack them.

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Rayne

Rayne

Blogger since 2002, political activist since 2003, FDL community member since 2005, geek since birth.

Fan of science and technology, wannabe artist, decent cook, successful troublemaker and purveyor of challenging memetics whose genetics may be only nominally better.

Assistant Editor at Firedoglake and Editor at The Seminal.