Have you had to sit through anti-union propaganda?

[B5C]

A few months ago I started a seasonal job at a major retail chain. I had to sit through an hour of a video of why unions are bad.

I can't post links yet, but just go to google and type "Bloomberg" & "‘Stay Union-Free’ Pushed by Target, Michaels as Obama Law Looms"

[Hoplite]

Welcome to the world of retail.

Best way to mess with big retail chains is to make them think employees are trying to organize a union. "Accidentally" leave pamphlets detailing "union plans" and "how to" guides on creating a union. Calling a manager and asking them if they're planning on attending the union strategy meeting, then acting like you called the wrong person when they ask what's going on.

Caused at least one Target to fold in my hometown that way :)

[Le Socialiste]

Ever since high school. College isn't much better, I've found. The only time that such anti-union sentiment/propaganda was forced on me was when I first started work at a large florist supply-chain. Wasn't expecting it, but there it was...

[Metacomet]

Listening to my parents every day.........

[Diello]

When I was hired at Wal-Mart they showed me some videos on unions that genuinely reminded me of 1950s PSAs.

[Property Is Robbery]

A few months ago I started a seasonal job at a major retail chain. I had to sit through an hour of a video of why unions are bad.

I can't post links yet, but just go to google and type "Bloomberg" & "‘Stay Union-Free’ Pushed by Target, Michaels as Obama Law Looms"
Is the video online? I just found the article. Also I think you're restricted to OI, yeah?

[the last donut of the night]

yeah i go to high school

[Bitter Ashes]

During induction at Morrisons we were told by our HR manager that the union rep would be dropping by in our lunch break to talk about the union and get us to sign up. She said not to worry though because she'd be there in the room with us to make sure that the rep didn't intimidate us, or "stray from the truth". What a complete load of crap.

[NoOneIsIllegal]

When I was hired at Wal-Mart they showed me some videos on unions that genuinely reminded me of 1950s PSAs.
Yeah, the anti-union video in Wal-Mart's orientation is bad. I always ask new hires what they think and how they felt about it. It's so blatant, and yet at the end of every sentence they say "we're not anti-union, just pro-individual!"
:rolleyes:
Or they always refer to unions as "third parties" Mostly the latter, so as to completely erase the word "union" from memory.

[RED DAVE]

On TV in New York State, they're running anti-teacher union stuff because the Governor wants to layoff teachers and, at the very least, there is a seniority rule. The attack is on the principle of seniority, but it's also an attack on unions.

The AFT has its own commercials which, interestingly, attack the willingness of New York City's billionaire mayor to lay off teachers but not to tax "millionaires."

RED DAVE

[Klaatu]

If these corporate bastards are allowed to force anti-union propaganda on workers (or potential hires) then they should also be required, by law, to have a union representative talk to the worker as well. Not a fake "company union" speaker, but an outside, independent organizer. AND at the company's own expense. If the company doesn't like this arrangement, bar them from mentioning unions or other like propaganda all together!

[Kuppo Shakur]

Welcome to the world of retail.

Best way to mess with big retail chains is to make them think employees are trying to organize a union. "Accidentally" leave pamphlets detailing "union plans" and "how to" guides on creating a union. Calling a manager and asking them if they're planning on attending the union strategy meeting, then acting like you called the wrong person when they ask what's going on.

Caused at least one Target to fold in my hometown that way :)
Sounds like all you're doing is messing with the employees.

[Hoplite]

Sounds like all you're doing is messing with the employees.
I had considered that, and as much as I hated to do something that would put honest people out of work, I looked at from a cost benefit view.

If I ignored the problem and let things continue, other people would lose more jobs because of the economic consolidation and you'd have hundreds of people out of work.

If I did something, yes in the short-term you'd have people out of work, but with a healthier local economy, they could find jobs easier.

We've had a Target and a Best Buy in that town as long as I can remember, but other than that, the big chains stayed out of the town. It wasn't until about nine years ago when Wal-Mart muscled it's way past our city council and plunked itself down that we started having a FLOOD of the big chain retail stores. And, shocker, the town economy went into a tailspin and there haven't been ANY new small businesses opening their doors for the past eight years. The fun part was when Wal-Mart threatened to build in the un-incorporated part of town if we didnt subsidize part of their construction. If they built outside of town, we'd see none of the money and customers from local businesses would be sucked away.

[Zav]

In high school, my history teacher would inject right-wing, anti-union, pro-Libertarian (the American political party, not real Libertarianism), pro-government, and pro-corporate propaganda into EVERY lecture. "Dirty Commies, this" and "Dirty Commies, that". My favorite was this:
"Dirty Commie Unions infiltrated the government and caused the October 29th market crash to make people join the Socialist Party." I think he seriously believed that.

[Tim Finnegan]

No, because my place of employment has so thoroughly ground the prospect of unionisation into the dirt that even the spectre of it is too distant to present a threat to their security. Instead, we have "employee circles", something about as effective a means of democratic worker's representation as the Deutsche Arbeitsfront.

None at school, either, presumably because the British teachers unions (the Blairite NAS-UWT and the more left-wing NTU) are pretty strong, especially in traditionally working class areas.


Yeah, the anti-union video in Wal-Mart's orientation is bad. I always ask new hires what they think and how they felt about it. It's so blatant, and yet at the end of every sentence they say "we're not anti-union, just pro-individual!"
:rolleyes:
Aren't Wal-Mart employees officially called "associates", or some such nonsense? It seems like they're trying to convince their wage-slaves that they're actually independent contractors! :rolleyes:

[Metacomet]

No, because my place of employment has so thoroughly ground the prospect of unionisation into the dirt that even the spectre of it is too distant to present a threat to their security. Instead, we have "employee circles", something about as effective a means of democratic worker's representation as the Deutsche Arbeitsfront.

None at school, either, presumably because the British teachers unions (the Blairite NAS-UWT and the more left-wing NTU) are pretty strong, especially in traditionally working class areas.


Aren't Wal-Mart employees officially called "associates", or some such nonsense? It seems like they're trying to convince their wage-slaves that they're actually independent contractors! :rolleyes:

They call us "associates" as well at my store

Technically I am a Flexible Work Team Associate,

"you play a vital role to the success of our Store. We rely on you to help fill open shifts during critical sales events, holidays, and business needs."

In real world, I can't have a life in case my phone rings and I have to go in to work in 8 minutes. I do as much work as anyone else, but am not eligible for raises, promotions, or any other "bonuses" that they offer.

Good thing is they don't bug me to open "loyalties" (store credit cards) as much as the permanent employees.

[#FF0000]

A few months ago I started a seasonal job at a major retail chain. I had to sit through an hour of a video of why unions are bad.

I can't post links yet, but just go to google and type "Bloomberg" & "‘Stay Union-Free’ Pushed by Target, Michaels as Obama Law Looms"

Oh the joys of one-month employment at Target.

[NoOneIsIllegal]

Aren't Wal-Mart employees officially called "associates", or some such nonsense? It seems like they're trying to convince their wage-slaves that they're actually independent contractors! :rolleyes:
Yeah. It's actually used at quite a few stores, even in commercials or advertisements it states "ask an associate." A lot of stores call people "associates" rather than workers or employees because it's psychological: it makes them feel like they are part of the company.

[Diello]

Yeah, the anti-union video in Wal-Mart's orientation is bad. I always ask new hires what they think and how they felt about it. It's so blatant, and yet at the end of every sentence they say "we're not anti-union, just pro-individual!"
:rolleyes:
Or they always refer to unions as "third parties" Mostly the latter, so as to completely erase the word "union" from memory.

XD! Yes, that's exactly the line they gave me when I referred to the anti-union video as such.

The tone of their videos is, "We're not against unions per se, we just want you to be informed that unions rape babies."



Aren't Wal-Mart employees officially called "associates", or some such nonsense? It seems like they're trying to convince their wage-slaves that they're actually independent contractors! :rolleyes:

Yes. Yes, they are. The miasma of that sort of propaganda is thick; there are posters of Sam Walton up here and there with slogans like, "Make your associates feel like partners and share your profits with them."

And then there's the Wal-Mart chant.

[#FF0000]

I remember Target was particularly cultish in that it actually had a "mental health line" specifically for employees.

[Red Commissar]

Yes, last job I had down here the boss reminded us a number of times that Texas is a Right-to-Work state and that's what makes us so great.

[Urban Rubble]

I used to work in the Organizing department at a Commercial Food Workers Union, my job was to get hired at drug stores and get people to sign union cards. The last campaign I worked on was exposed by management pretty early on, naturally they began an anti-union campaign. To sit back and watch the hysteria of management in response to a store of 10 employees unionizing was one of the more entertaining spectacles I've had the pleasure to witness.

[Hoplite]

I used to work in the Organizing department at a Commercial Food Workers Union, my job was to get hired at drug stores and get people to sign union cards.
I would LOVE to get a job like that. Is there any special training or education that you need for it?

[Urban Rubble]

I would LOVE to get a job like that. Is there any special training or education that you need for it?

Not really, it helped that I was a Poli Sci student at UW, but most of the people doing that work had no experience. I was just lucky to know a girl who got me the job, I really have no idea how you'd go about finding that work independently. Contact local union headquarters and see if they have anything available, even as a secretary at a union office you'll get decent wages and benefits, plus it's always good to be around activism, even if it's mostly "bourgeoise reformist bullshit", as they say, haha.