Corporate America Co-opting Populist Rhetoric - esp on lgbt & wages

[Panich52]

Corporate America Co-opting Populist Rhetoric

Corporations mixing progressive rhetoric with wage increases, reports Politico:

"...big companies are buckling under pressure to address the problem of wage stagnation and workplace issues. And they're embracing the favorite language - if not the full-fledged policies - of the political left ... In January, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini told all of his executives to read Thomas Piketty, the famed progressive economist, and then went and established a $16 an hour wage floor for all of the company's employees ... This change in tone seems partly designed to blunt the efforts of two union-backed groups: Fight For $15, bankrolled by the Service Employees International Union, and OUR Walmart, backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union."

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/corporate-america-strikes-liberal-note-on-wages-116644.html



HuffPost's Alexander Kaufman explains "Why Corporate America Is Finally Raising Wages":

"For some companies, the pay raise has been compelled by a sense of ethical leadership ... Other firms have been motivated by the desire to maintain market share ... As the U.S. economy continues to add jobs, even retailers who claim to keep prices low in part by minimizing payroll expenses must increase how much they pay their workers to avoid losing them."

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6993942


Evangelical conservatives angry at businesses over opposition to anti-gay laws. WSJ:

"There have long been tensions between religious conservatives and the business wing of the Republican Party, often centering on how much emphasis the GOP should put on social issues like abortion as opposed to core economic policy. The religious-liberty measures are a relatively new flash point, igniting just as potential 2016 presidential candidates are beginning to jockey for a place on the party's political spectrum."

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/04/03/evangelicals-incensed-by-business-push-against-religious-freedom-bills/?mod=WSJBlog

[daleanime]

1. If we 'voluntarily' pay $9 wages....

we can avoid $15. In other words, we know it's coming, how can we minimize it?

[2naSalit]

2. Smoke and Mirrors...

Fro them It's all about appearances. Corporate fascists are trying to relieve themselves of their horrod reputation in order to curry favor with the public. Too late for them in many cases though not enough. There's a high dollar election in the works and they want to look like the garbage heap of their inhumanity will look and smell more like roses if they can make themselves appear to be concerned about income inequality to buy themselves and their Congressional shills more time and votes before the masses rise up against them such that no profit is available... and to complete the corporate coups d'etat.

[fredamae]

3. They are "banking"

on the fact we're THAT freeking Gullible!