Headline News? Walmart Communicates with Managers

Lions, tigers and politics, oh my! Companies talking to their employees, who do they think they are? Why does the AFL-CIO, WalmartWatch.com, Change to Win, CBS News and Barack Obama think that a company should not be allowed to communicate to their Supervisors and Managers about the EFCA (or any subject for that matter...)?

Assistant to the President of the AFL-CIO's Stewart Acuff, "They're trying to bully the American political scene."

Change to Win executive Director Chris Chafe: "It should be no surprise that Wal-Mart would stretch the limits of the law in an attempt to deny their workers' rights and kill the Employee Free Choice Act."

Wal-Mart Watch Executive Director David Nassar, "Sign a petition to tell Wal-Mart to stop the political intimidation of its employees."

CBS News: "The anti-union zealots at Walmart are launching a preemptive strike against Barack Obama, who supports federal legislation that would make it easier to unionize..."

The Wall Street Journal: "The bill was crafted by labor as a response to more aggressive opposition by companies to union-organizing activity. The AFL-CIO and individual unions such as the United Food and Commercial Workers have promised to make passage of the new labor law their No. 1 mission after the November election."

Barack Obama (in a conference call this past Thursday with members of unions who have endorsed him): "We're going to sign the Employee Free Choice Act into law because if a majority of workers want a union they should get one."

Walmart spokesman David Tovar, "We believe EFCA is a bad bill and we have been on record as opposing it for some time. We feel educating our associates about the bill is the right thing to do."

Every company, large or small, in the United States has the right to communicate to their Supervisors, Managers, employees and associates about the EFCA and any other topic that they feel may have an adverse affect on their business and ultimately their employees. If you aren't communicating to your employees about the EFCA you can bet that the Unions will be (if they haven't already).

According to Steven Law, chief legal officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "Labor has pledged to spend $300 million on the election and securing passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, compared with under $100 million by business groups." That's 3 to 1, folks.

If you don't know what the EFCA is... find out. When you do find out and you understand why it is important to discuss with your employees, then develop a communication strategy to effectively communicate your message.

Need help developing your EFCA message? From the largest company in the world to the smallest, with 30 years in HR and Labor Relations, I can assure you that there's no company with as much expertise in employee communications as Projections. We've helped thousands of employers deliver the right message, and in the current volatile climate, we can help you do the same.