PrintBig Labor, Wal-Mart and Hillary
Wal—Mart, the largest private sector employer in America, is the number one object of hatred and derision on the part of Big Labor and many of its allies on the left. The AFL—CIO opposes Wal—Mart because it is a non—union employer which visibly and successfully fights all attempts to organize its work force. Even worse, competition from Wal—Mart has forced cutbacks on the part of many unionized supermarket chains and other retailers. But perhaps worst of all, Wal—Mart buys many goods made overseas by non—union workers, accelerating the decline of unionized manufacturers at home.
Labor bosses specifically criticize Wal—Mart's huge purchases of items manufactured in China. If you go to the AFL—CIO's position website on Wal—Mart and click on the top of page PDF file "Wal—Mart Imports from China, Exports Ohio Jobs," you will find on the first page a statement linking the union jobs lost in Ohio directly to workers in China making Wal—Mart merchandise.
But it seems that the AFL—CIO has no criticism whatsoever for a probable presidential candidate who actually sat on the Board of Directors of Wal—Mart from 1986 to 1992. During this very period of time, Wal—Mart was anti—union and also imported goods from China which were made using child labor.
The candidate in question isn't John McCain or Newt Gingrich. It is Hillary Rodham Clinton. From a Village Voice article on the subject:
In 1986, when Hillary was first lady of Arkansas, she was put on the board of Wal—Mart. Officials at the time said she wasn't filling a vacancy. In May 1992, as Hubby's presidential campaign heated up, she resigned from the board of Wal—Mart. Company officials said at the time that they weren't going to fill her vacancy.
Hillary even did a book signing at an anti—union Wal—Mart in 2003. Here is what the Portland Independent Media Center published in its protest of Hillary's visit in Aug. 2003:
Hillary "walmart" Clinton is Coming! Protest Tuesday!
author: Wage Slave
Hillary Clinton has a current history of human rights abuses left out of her autobiography. Portland has been called onto address them for her.
HILLARY "WALMART" CLINTON is coming to our town to raise funds. Hillary has a history of human rights abuses. Beside being the former lawyer for Walmart, who not only employs child labor but foreign prison labor, but also subjegates (sic)the American working class to welfare as she calls for welfare reform
Rather than denouncing Hillary as a former board member and collaborator with its number one union—busting target, the union hierarchy seemingly isn't offended by her board history and her flogging of her book at Wal—Mart.
But the internet—powered left wing activists of today are not content to let their putative leadership tell them where (and where not) to vent their rage. And when they find themselves excluded from the inner circle, they turn their rage on their own putative allies.
There is ample reason to believe that Hillary Rodham Clinton's road to the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination will not be a cake walk. The one hundred million Americans who shop at Wal—Mart every week may not be offended by her business collaboration with the biggest merchant in the world, but the dominant left wing of the Democratic Party will be, once they realize the extent of her implication in its supposed sins.
And the bosses of Big Labor may find their credibility plunging even lower with not just the general public, but with the activists of the political party to which they donate scores of millions of dollars each election cycle. Their credibility may fall even lower than Wal—Mart's prices. Every day.
Jack Kemp is not the former politician of the same name.
