Has Walmart violated the Voting Rights Act by telling their manager's who to support in the 08 election?

How would the managers know who you voted for?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminated things like poll taxes, literacy tests vote voting, deliberate gerrymandering of districts, voter intimidation and other acts designed to suppress minority voting. It has been amended several times since then. No where does it say a private organization cannot endorse a candidate. Even with an endorsement, no one follows you into a voting booth and forces you to vote for anyone, much less check to see how you voted.

I work at Wal-Mart and cannot understand where some of the misinformation I have seen posted here originates. Locking employees in stores? Threats and intimidations? There is a list of guidelines a mile long detailing proper and improper behavior that Wal-Mart must follow regarding employees and customers. I have yet to have anyone tell me how to vote much less threaten my job.

I would like to point out that unions endorse candidates all the time and engage in much more intimating tactics to coerce their members. Furthermore, no one is forcing you do patronize Wal-Mart and I really wish people would check their facts before making these accusations.

No, they have not broken the law. How many times have you seen politicians on TV at some factory talking to the workers. Bosses do this all the time. They can endorse anyone they want and can encourage you to vote accordingly. We have a private ballot so there is no way for them to "force"you to vote for anyone.

Unions always tell their members who to vote for and they can get you fired just as easily as your boss can. which is more intimidating?

I sure would hate it if we didn't have secret ballots. Immagine what it would be like for 10 of your co-workers to come to your house one evening and "ask" you to sign a card to join a union. Since union dues are between 1% and 5% of your salary that would be like robbery or extortion. and since union stewards are allowed to be payed for their work then those "enforcers" would have something to gain personnally. Good plan?

It seems like they have skated around the law. But they should be investigated because it's a gray area. So they have a meeting where they tell managers what might happen if Obama is elected. Is that where it's supposed to end? FYI. Some managers, maybe not all will go to their employees and tell them. It seems a bit stupid to hold this meeting. What is the purpose or intent? I think that is what the big to do is. Anyone that has worked in business knows this to be true. It is scarey. Business should stay out of employees' personal lives. People are losing freedoms all of the time. The internet has been a blessing and a curse. But everyone should be paying close attention because it matters. If we don't then we might not like the consequences if we even notice. It might be too late when we do notice or have to deal with the consequences. We need to stand up. We need to stand for something. Do we have no values or morals left? Do we not care for anything but ourselves? I don't get it myself.

edit: Your manager vs. your union. I think the manager has much more power. I don't think the union is as powerful.

I think the union is advocating on behalf of its members. It's why it exists. Members should keep that in check. Don't take it for granted.

edit: Kit Fang: Here's the problem with that. Some employees will feel pressured because it's their boss saying this. The employees may be afraid and may feel like they have to lie or won't be able to lie if asked. Do you work in the real world? Do you see how things really work in practice? I have for many years. I remember how difficult life is in retail. It sucks. I hated it.

edit: Wal-Mart should leave its managers and employees alone. It's one thing if they want to hand out a flyer or have some around but it shouldn't be something openly discussed. I think we should care about individuals.

Maybe this is something that needs to escalate where politics is kept out of work.

Unions lobby on behalf of labor. They need to be involved in government. Maybe they should not support one candidate or another or do so with a strong caveat, a disclaimer.

To me this is more of an ethics violation.

Corporate Walmart could tell their managers whom to vote for but they can not make them vote for anyone. Anyone smart enough could pretend they are for one candidate and then vote for another. Now if the CEOs are forcing the workers to vote a certain way, that is certainly a violation.

For the hourly worker who barely gets health care benefits, I just can't see them voting for the GOP candidate. The only exception would be the seniors Walmart employs at mininum wage.

if this actually happened....i suppose.

or did they simply publish a breakdown of what each candidate and party advocated, and how those positions would positively and negatively affect the company and employees...

...every large corporation for which I worked or with whom I dealt did the same thing come election time. It's called "providing real-world information and letting the individuals decide"...you know, some people actually like to vote on practicalities and not just "feelings"...

....now if it was as obvious as you portray it would be a problem....based on your history, forgive me if I'm skeptical of your objectivity...

no, i think that that prohibition only applies to government supervisors and bosses. for instance, a lifetime govt employee (not a political appointee) can't go and tell his/her subordinates to vote a certain way. private companies and unions and groups can endorse or support whomever they choose. i think it might be illegal to be fired for having voted a certain way, but then again we have secret ballots so that shouldn't be an issue.

Its not intimidation nor is it illegal - and what do you say about Unions who require dues and once you're a member you're forced to act in ways decided by the unions? For example, if they want to boycott, you must also do so even if you disagree or else you lose your membership in the union...now THAT's a violation of your right to free choice in this country if you ask me.

Walmart is certainly guilty of other sins like spying on workers who want to unionize. But there's no way they can compel their employees to vote for someone.

Hell yes they committed a crime!!! Walmart should be investigated immediately. They also: give out pamphlets to new employees informing them about which government assistance programs they qualify for because they pay so little, support products from sweat shops, exploit illegal immigrants and as little as five years ago were taking out life insurance policies on the old greeters. Maybe they are afraid that they will have to own up to what they do under a non-business liberal administration. Great company! For all the morons that are going to say "They aren't in the ballet box with you, just play along" that is nonsense that anyone would have to "play along" about who they are going to vote for because they work for a certain company. Even the military can't "persuade" anyone how to vote.

They are advising them of the ramifications of an Obama administration. I don't think what they're doing is any different than what happens in union halls for the Democrats. When you get in the voting booth, you can do what you want.

Time for a reality check.