Wal-Mart's political motives questioned

Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, is conducting mandatory meetings with its employees telling them not to vote for Democratic candidates (as reported by the Daily Herald). The reason: Executives at Wal-Mart believe the Democrats will modify labor laws and make it easier for workers to form unions.

This action by Wal-Mart's leadership demonstrates three things. First, Wal-Mart executives are admitting that current labor laws restrict workers' rights to form unions and they want that to continue. Second, if the laws were more balanced and if workers were given a choice they'd choose a union to represent their interests. Why? Because the employees know Wal-Mart has paid wages and provided health care benefits that are not comparable to other companies. Third, corporate leaders, who are predominantly conservative Republicans, would rather pontificate about freedoms for the Americans than support laws that provide freedoms.

Eventually we will recognize that corporations do not exist to serve our interests but rather the interests of their shareholders, and we will come to realize that having the ability to unionize is a way to protect ourselves from corporate greed.

Kevin O'Neill

North Aurora