Ohio McDonald's employees get voting instructions with their paychecks

[meegbear]

Source: Crooksandliars.com

If you work for this Canton, Ohio McDonald's franchise, you'd better be voting Republican if you know what's good for you.

Via ThinkProgress:

Along with their recent paychecks, employees received a pamphlet from their employer on company letter head that stated “as the election season is here, we wanted you to know which candidates will help our business grow in the future.” While pointing out that the vote is the employee’s “personal decision,” the pamphlet explicitly states, “if the right people are elected we will be able to continue with raises and benefits at or above our present levels. If others are elected we will not”:

The "right people" are John Kasich, Rob Portman, and Jim Renacci for this franchisee.

There's only one small problem with that handbill: It's illegal for employers in Ohio to include anything that will influence employees' electoral decisions with paychecks. There's a reason for that, of course. Employees who depend on the meager income they earn from a McDonald's job will take seriously the threat of not having a job if they don't elect the 'right people'.

Read more: http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/ohio-mcdonalds-get-voting-instructions-thei

[elocs]

1. Yeah, I read about that here at DU about 4 1/2 hours ago with 32 Recs:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9414046

[FarPoint]

4. I appreciate the re-post

as I did not see it the first time..........This intimidation has no doubt been very successful.......regardless of an apology after the fact...the bell has been rung. Shameful...awful.

[slackmaster]

12. Rec #32 added to this one just to make it fair

:hi:

[Iowa]

36. Ha! I just added rec #108 to this one!

[FarLeftFist]

62. The reason is simple...

Republicans do away with minimum wage, he pays his workers $3.75/hr, he makes more profit.

[KillCapitalism]

67. $3.75 an hour?

Shit, do you really think they'd be that generous? I would think it would be more along the lines of the average wage in Cambodia...40 cents an hour or thereabouts.

[alp227]

2. But then again, Republicans can break the law to benefit themselves, right???

Guess that they thought that the young, naive, minimum-wage voters will suck it up to the corporate interests.

[66 dmhlt]

30. Well, Buffy tells Mickey D ...

"You Can't Do That!"

[No Elephants]

102. Isn't she a Republican?

[meow2u3]

98. What's next? McDonald's bosses planting hidden cameras in the voting booths?

Just so they'd know how their slaves employees voted? :scared:

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

3. Once again Republicans using fear and greed.

[Moonbat2]

54. I agree

We would NEVER do that!!

[greiner3]

77. I think your attempt at sarcasm;

Has dropped to the level of snarky. At what point or instance do you have proof that Democrats have engaged in this behavior? Reputable links or hard copy will be accepted. However, Wiki and fox hearsays will not.

[Name removed]

79. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

95. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[No Elephants]

103. And by "we" you mean.......?

[Capitalocracy]

68. The wording is interesting

It will allow us to give bonuses, etc., "at or above" current levels. The "at" implies that if they don't win, they'll cut your pay! The "above" implies that you'll make more money!

If I were working there, if any of the politicians named won, I would go straight to the manager and say, "Where's my raise?"

[Golden Raisin]

94. And utter contempt & disdain

for Democracy, the electoral process and the Constitution. But what else is new?

[femrap]

5. Do we ever get to see a

repugnant dressed in orange?

[MedicalAdmin]

92. We will see republicans in orange

First of allmthey need a goat to come forward and say that they acted alone for a reward down the road. Secondly, who do you think owns the private prisons?

[meow2u3]

97. If you count John Boner's skin color, yes

:evilgrin:

[femrap]

108. AAAAAAAh, Yes....

The orange man!

[left is right]

6. Slightly off topic

I am glad you reposted. I have limited time to spend reading posts. I maximize it all that I can by reading only from the latest discussion threads. I start at the bottom of the page and read up. If I have remaining time, I refresh the page and begin at the first unread thread. You do some of us a great service that isn’t always acknowledged or appreciated by some others

[tanyev]

10. Ditto. I missed this story the first time around.

[county worker]

7. Yeah the right wants to get rid of the minimum wage and these employees are supposed to vote for

them to protect wages and benefits?

[countrydad58]

21. Exactly!

[defendandprotect]

111. They also want to limit unemployment insurance to ONE WEEK ... !!

[trud]

8. this makes me glad I'm a vegetarian

On the other hand, if I weren't then I could boycott.

[Arugula Latte]

9. I'm proud to say I haven't eaten their poisonous slop in a couple decades.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bongbong]

31. As a Democrat you get to do what you want

The repig party is the one that requires its acolytes to follow the rules set down by the elite.

[defendandprotect]

38. You have to make up your own mind if this is the kind of food you want to eat ....

and the kind of business you want to see more of --

[daleo]

59. You are not required to think in any particular way

Only right wingers and religious dogmatists expect precise thinking and obedience.

Progressives understand that reason will lead intelligent people to the truth, given time.

[SemperEadem]

83. what's this "we" mess?

Is there something wrong with you taking your own lead? You can't ask the owner of the md's you patronize with which party he aligns himself?

You do what you feel compelled to do, not what someone orders you to do in exchange for acceptance. That is the core problem with the right wing nut jobs... they don't think for themselves--they let the talk box tell them what to think and if they get in trouble, well God said they're saved, so... no harm no foul.



Clearly, you need to see Morgan Spurlock's documentary "Super Size Me" if your questions are on this level.

[Name removed]

96. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Quantess]

20. You can say you've been boycotting retroactively for years.

I'll go ahead and give myself credit for that, too. LOL.

Welcome to DU!

[TheWatcher]

11. This is all loving, good, cute, trendy, and Of The Lord, of course.

Let's face it, this is life in America now.

No Rule Of Law, Nothing Is Taboo, Anything Goes, Rape, Murder, Pillage, hell just about anything you can think of is good, just and necessary, and for our own good.

The New Freedom and Enhanced Democracy couldn't have worked out better.

And the crumbs we are promised from the table as a result for going along couldn't be more generous.

Our Lords and Masters take care of us very well.

Why, we're the best taken care of proles on the planet.

:thumbsup:

It's just a shame that some people can't see that, and have to get all nitpicky, and nuancey.

:sarcasm:

[Tansy_Gold]

13. If I PM you my address

could you send me a little of what you're smokin'?

:evilgrin:

I need some insanity in my life right now, so I can deal with the insanity in my life. Otherwise I'll go crazy.



:hi:





TG, NTY

[TheWatcher]

15. Absolutely, my dear Tansy!

There really is nothing to it.

You just buy a copy of "The Secret", ignore everything that doesn't make you feel good, and mindlessly buy into the lie that everything is OK, no matter how corrupt, out of control, or lawless things get!

A good support plan is to get a good Cable plan that gives you all the channels that have the best and most popular Fake Reality Shows, Sports Distractions, and News Propaganda to numb you out to the point of Blissful Oblivion.

Think about it! In the past, you would have had to adopt a serious Heroin Habit to achieve this level of cognitive dissonance, which could have led to dangerous health problems, and jail time OR WORSE if you were caught by the authorities.

Now, you can have the ultimate Comfortably Numb Lifestyle, and it's safe, efficient, and 100% LEGAL!

And it's only Pennies A Day.....

If you never thought a universe like the one depicted everyday in sharp satire Sites like The Onion could never be a reality, prepare to BE A BELIEVER!

Operation American Neverland: Your ticket to an Ignorantly Blissful Paradise

::cue Starship Troopers Voiceover::

Would You Like To Know More? :)

[zeemike]

16. Oh yes please, let me buy it now before it is all gone.

But na...I got rid of my satellite years ago and only get two channels over the air waves one is PBS and the other is a fox channel....so the set stays off most of the time and I rent movies when I want to be entertained.
It is a great wasteland that cable....but also a mind trap.

[txlibdem]

100. Don't worry, people like you and I will be first in line for the FEMA camps

Then we won't have to worry about the wealthy bastards turning this into a prison planet.

:patriot:

[lobodons]

14. I didn't see FAUX NOISE carry this Voter Fraud ACORN type story!!??

FAUX NOISE is all over voter fraud stories, but haven't seen them carry this one?? HHMMMMM???????

[Incitatus]

18. Don't hold your breath

And if they do report anything about it, they will spin it to favor the franchise owner.

[Politicub]

17. Sick. I'm sure nothing will be done about it though

Or it will go to the Supreme Court, who will give carte blanche to this practice a la citizens united.

[TheWatcher]

19. It would be better if the Supreme Court would just make everything legal.

Crime, Corruption, Murder, Rape, Pillaging, etc.

You know, just be upfront and honest about the fact that there are two sets of Rules and be done with it.

Now the catch is the proles still get punished for things, but at least we would have a clear and fair understanding of who was exempt.

At least we could live honestly then.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

22. this is why we have a secret ballot, but would MCD check voters' voter reg for party affiliation?

This is so unappetizing.

[The Wielding Truth]

23. Who has filed charges against this franchise owner? It must be done with or without

the apology. It is voter intimidation!

[RoccoR5955]

24. Mickey D will pay the fine...

after all, it will not be a fraction of one hour's profits for them.
What should happen, is that Ohio should take away their permit to do business in the state.

[Exilednight]

26. Time to boycott, not that I really eat their anways, but it's the principal. n/t

[Capitalocracy]

66. Interesting question

What do I do if I'm already boycotting them? How can I boycott them twice?

[Exilednight]

87. I thought about this afterwards, and on my 'to do' list for today is ................

this little tidbit

-call McDonald's corporate office and inform them that I will not longer patronize their establishment due to electoral intimidation.

You can get the phone number off their website.

[piggy2000]

27. Voting is Private!!

Please spread the word that voting is done in private. Where are all those people that cry "Freedom" and "Constitution" at the top of their lungs?

C'mon, Ohio! Please get out and vote! Keep your vote private.

[RavensChick]

28. Well, guess I'll have to make my own Big Mac

'cause it's gonna be a good while before McDonald's sees my money again!

[Scruffy1]

29. Looks like a measly $500.00-1000.00 dollar fine

This is a fucking joke. these assholes are multimillionaires and make more money screwing low wage workers. Anybody who gives these damn places a nickel is feeding the hand that bites them. Besides their shit is unfir for human consumption.

[davidinalameda]

58. is that for one single offense

these notices were sent to each and every employee, at least that's what I'm getting from the OP

each notice would be a separate violation

guessing that there are probably 20 or so employees, that could a $20K fine

[brewens]

32. This could work out well. Outraged Democrats boycott. Republicans

counter by ramping up their McDonalds consumption. It might take awhile but eventually we get rid of a few Republicans that way.:evilgrin:

[olegramps]

85. Now that is right thinking. You are my type of person.

[Optimistic]

33. That is trying to Overthrow the Gov't

McDonalds should be closed up with the CEO of McDonalds and the Franchise owner Jailed for life and Fined 1 Trillion Dollars

[derby378]

34. Free speech, my ass - you wanna get paid or not?

:grr:

"What about free speech?"

"That's not the point, you're giving this place a bad name, I've got my position to think of!"

[rasputin1952]

35. Hope that franchisee has to apy about $500,000 in fines for that...

see how he likes that!

[defendandprotect]

37. Trust they'll be a lawsuit ....

[TheWatcher]

45. That will go ocmpletely nowhere, and this will end up buried just like everything else.

Meanwhile, next on the Real Stepford Pieces of Garbage Of D.C.....

[BrklynLiberal]

39. Since that is not legal..who is going to be prosecuted for it????

[defendandprotect]

110. If MacDonald's has PERSONHOOD, how about all of them... ???

[lobodons]

40. Anybody else call costumer relations?

I did. The girl had a written down response that she read back to me, but still.

800-244-6227

Press 9 to get to a human. (it might be closed for the night)

[Blue Owl]

41. Sorry, but we didn't order the McShitwich

Send it back to the kitchen.

[FailureToCommunicate]

42. Ohio. Ohio....why does that sound so familiar near voting time?

[KoKo]

43. K&R

[crazyjoe]

44. How's the boss going to know who you voted for? Once in the booth

they will do what they want.
I hope they take this guys franchise away, hit him where it hurts...in the wallet!!

[dogknob]

60. They WILL do what they want...

...The tactic is to scare them into wanting what the TurdBurglar wants.

[No Elephants]

106. Who would you vote for if you got paid McWages and someone promised you a raise if X got elected?

It was not about the boss knowing or not.

[crazyjoe]

109. i would vote for the person I wanted to vote for. we are talking about

what, 20-25 employees? out of millions of voters. I'm just not going to get worked up about this, in the big picture its pretty much meaningless.

[Sonoman]

46. That's it! I am never going there again. Oh wait....

I haven't been to one of those places in over 40 years.

In-N-Out, on the other hand...

Sonoman

[bluerum]

47. how convenient

[Zambero]

48. More Republicans in office will help his McD business grow?

Since when does the number of elected Republicans affect the frequency of "Big Mac Attacks"? Not only are his tactics illegal, but his logic is faulty.

[and-justice-for-all]

49. Is that illegal? nt

[and-justice-for-all]

50. They better have enough sense to know that they do not

have to disclose who they voted for and if they are pressured to do so, each of those employees will have their own franchise.

[bertman]

51. Not to worry, Attorney General Holder will be all over this like a fly on a turd.

Oh wait!! Maybe not. After all he's gonna have his hands full with looking forward, not backward, and with planning his assault on the legal marijuana fields in California, and with keeping the DADT law in effect.

I'll take a Whopper with Cheese. Screw the Big Mac.

[zehnkatzen]

52. We'd boycott McD's ...

... except that we already avoid McD's pretty much for every sensible reason: they're unsustainable, they ruin the American diet, they treat their communities like they're owed space, their food is an abomination upon all diets (not just the American), they bugger the environment just to make a buck.

Actually, the corp itself doesn't make money off of selling the "food" ... they make it off the real estate, the flow of income comes from their properties, not the product so much.

Actually (2), while this does reflect (properly) on the chain as a whole, the attitude here is particularly that of the franchisee, who evidently likes being In Control, sees the employees as owned objects, and has drank deeply of the 'employee as enemy' attitude that seems to rule corporate America these days.

[Lasher]

53. I don't think an apology is going to be good enough.

This manager clearly broke the law.

[happygoluckytoyou]

55. I APPRECIATE THE NOTE THAT I "SHOULD NO LONGER EAT AT ANY MCDONALDS"

[happygoluckytoyou]

56. I APPRECIATE THE NOTE TO "NEVER EAT AT MCDONALDS AGAIN"

[oswaldactedalone]

57. I haven't set foot in a McDonalds in 15 years

and this reinforces my desire to continue for another 15.

[Capitalocracy]

64. I haven't gone since they lied to the vegetarians

(and Hindus) about the fries

[FarLeftFist]

61. I'm NOT loving it! n/t

[pasto76]

63. unfortunately if the workers were more educated in their rights they would call NLRB

national labor relations board. The Feds. Creating a hostile work environment by management for non republicans, and non republican voters. intimidation of job loss for non republicans/voters.

See like, in this country, you aren't supposed to be able to scare people about their jobs like that. Which if you look back to the day, is the primary reason for the creation of unions. 1st year apprentices will tell you that it was about providing a burial fund. also true.

[Capitalocracy]

65. Strike while the Supreme Court is bought!

Could they be fishing for a new ruling further expanding the definition of corporate free speech?

[slay]

69. The head of Howard Perry and Walston real estate company here in NC did the same thing

everyone was told to vote ALL Republican. Sent out emails to the employees telling them who "he thought" they should vote for. Greedy fucking asshole. It should be illegal. Grrr.... :grr:

[farmboxer]

70. It's Legal for Republicans to break the Law. Watch and see........

It's time for Dems to play Hardball!

[DesertDiamond]

71. Isn't this incredibly illegal?

[Skittles]

76. yes

but you know, these repukes don't "break the law" - it's just, you know, "ERRORS IN JUDGEMENT"

[Name removed]

72. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[daleanime]

74. Yes...

Illegal, means illegal. Just like anonymous donors, handcuffing reports, and stomping on a womans head while she's being held down.



Any other questions? :popcorn:

[saigon68]

78. And a BIG ADIOS to the poster in reply # 72

Take that shit and "SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS"

[BlueMTexpat]

73. As several here have noted, this is ONE franchise where one owner

apparently believes that the law does not apply to him. Unsurprisingly, s/he appears to be R.

On the whole, however, McDonald's overall has a better track record towards its employees than most. http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/careers/employee_benefits.html

How many restaurants in the US provide their staff with the same? They don't in Washington, DC as a matter of fact. In fact, their base pay is approximately what it was years ago, which is why one is expected to tip at least 15%.

So let's not throw the baby out with the dirty bathwater that this franchise owner is - despite how we may personally feel about the food. And yes, this franchise owner is totally abhorrent!

[cornermouse]

82. Back in the late 80s, early 90s the supervisor

I worked for sat us down and told us that we better not vote for an increase in minimum wage. The fact that he was husband of the owner's wife's sister didn't escape my attention. I just don't know whether he was doing it on his own or not.

[Skittles]

75. crazy

exactly how stupid does one have to be to find this even remotely appropriate? :o

[SemperEadem]

80. And these fucks will be arrested for breaking the law exactly when?

Watch them blame the people who printed and mailed the checks for including that.

[CoffeeCat]

81. Couldn't the opposition counter...

...with an ad in a local paper? I mean seriously...

You could inform McDonald's employees of their rights as voters, and you'd
also be shining a light on a slimy right-wing tactic.

How beneficial, so close to an election--to hightlight the notion that
Republicans only care about Wall Street and will screw over Main Street
in a heartbeat.

It's obvious to everyone that McDonald's (Republican owner) was blatantly
taking advantage of and intimidating people who are vulnerable. The fact
that this owner was LYING to them--and promising them more money if they
vote Republican--is so over the top.

Anyone reading an ad about this would know that the owner was using those
employees as little drones; trying to get them to vote in ways that would
increase his profits and ultimately hurt them in the long run.

This really is beautiful from a PR standpoint. You can make dozens of ads
that "say" Republicans are for Wall Street and Dems are for Main Street.
But here you have a real-life example that "shows". All you have to do is
tell the story about what this McDonald's owner did.

It could galvanize Dems in that area.

The solution isn't boycotting McDonald's. It's using this man's words to
gain Democratic votes.

[olegramps]

84. They have nothing to worry about.

The Supreme Court will quickly make any laws preventing businesses from intimidating employees illegal. They will claim that since corporations have person-hood and as such they have freedom of speech.

[Downwinder]

86. Made the AP line.

Ohio McDonald's gives voting advice in paychecks

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/29/politics/p134151D59.DTL&tsp=1

[WestSeattle2]

88. If my boss ever told me how to vote, I would definitely vote the

opposite. We have diametrically opposing goals. And believe me, any money he saves by having "the right people" in office, will NOT be passed on to employees.

[BlueIdaho]

89. Contact McDonalds...

Give the corporate headquarters hell and remind them that when they take a political stance they are bound to piss off half their customers.

[Posteritatis]

104. A DUer did just that in another thread

SargeUNN, I believe.

Apparently Corporate freaked out in the same way we are and the dumbass franchisee is going to catch several kinds of hell for that stunt.

[BlueIdaho]

107. I let them know what I think about it...

I say give them hell.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

90. Get rid of the minimum wage? Then who would buy their crap?

[Greg K]

91. McDonalds Corporate needs to know how we feel about their franchises doing stuff like this. nt

[guitar man]

93. Hmm

Now who was it that raised minimum wage? I guarantee it's the only significant raise anybody there has gotten in years. It would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic :(

[Kurovski]

99. Ridiculous little mini-fascist.

:rofl:

[AtLiberty]

101. Diebold Headquarters Located in Canton, OH

I'm certain it's just a coincidence...

[No Elephants]

105. About 100 years ago, employers told employees not to report for work if a Democrat got elected POTUS

[Bennyboy]

112. McDonald's responds to my complaint:

Hello Ben:


Thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald's. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

Rest assured, we greatly value our employees and their contributions to our business. We wholeheartedly respect diverse views and opinions, and our employees' right to vote. Our position is that every employee should make his or her own choice.

McDonald's had no knowledge of this material being distributed. The content is not reflective of McDonald's position. We remain bipartisan on these matters.

As independent business owners, our franchisees are responsible for matters regarding their own employees.

That said, while clearly this was poor judgment, we don't believe it was intended to offend anyone.

Again, thank you for sharing your comments with McDonald's. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again soon.

Joshua
McDonald's Customer Response Center

ref#:7316664