So exactly what did Hillary do to help out the unions during her term on the Wal-Mart board? Absolutely nothing:
Former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. board members and executives recall Clinton as a politically nimble insider who cautiously tried to nudge the company toward hiring more female executives and environmentally friendly practices, to limited effect, while remaining silent as Wal-Mart pursued anti-union strategies.
...
The New York senator's former relationship with the company poses a mixed blessing for her presidential run. The phenomenal growth of Wal-Mart's empire across the country has been a boon to consumers, but it has also drawn fierce fire from labor organizers who accuse the retail behemoth of union-busting tactics, poor wages and healthcare benefits, and mistreatment of female workers.
In the intervening years, Hillary has gone from a Wal-Mart booster to a politician who has refused contributions from their lobbyist. Coincidentally, just in time for a presidential run.The point is not that HIllary should have used her position to launch a union crusade during that time. Clearly that was not going to happen. The point is that Hillary was not deeply concerned about labor unions and Wal-Mart. At least not concerned enough to turn down a nice gig that would enhance her resume and that's not all:
Clinton's board appointment provided a welcome income boost. Clinton's compensation as a Rose partner had diminished after her husband became governor and she was forced to curtail her lucrative legal work before state agencies. Wal-Mart paid her $18,000 a year, $1,500 for each meeting she attended and steady increments of stock that eventually totaled 1,600 shares.And that is the point. Hillary's not concerned about Unions. She's concerned about Hillary and always has been. When it was to her advantage to make nice with the corporate fascists of Wally-world, she did. And now it's to her advantage to be labor's best friend, and so she is.
This is not exactly a big deal, in fact, it's nowhere near a big deal, but it is one more piece of evidence that this is all about Hillary. Labor may end up supporting Hillary, and they can probably be assured that their interests will be aligned for the foreseeable future. But they can also be assured that when push comes to shove, Hillary will throw labor under the bus.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Unions are a mixed blessing for today's workforce. They can help standardize wages and benefits, but at the same time outlaw merit pay increases. At some point the union's focus may change from protecting workers to protecting the union.
Some companies don't have unions because the workers are relatively content without them. Other companies fight the attempts of workers to organize.
Its not up to management or corporate board members to speak up for the union. Their concern for the welfare of the employees should show itself in their adoption of worker friendly policies. The unions can speak for themselves.
Steve Bonomo at 10:10AM on May 20th 2007
2. Personally, I believe this blog is so partisan and so out of sync with the reality of today's and yesterday's business world, that I wonder if the author has ever had any experience talking to or dealing with upper management of a sizable business or its board of directors. THERE IS NOTHING INCONSISTENT IN HILLARY"S BEHAVIOR. SHE DID WHAT SHE COULD IN A PRAGMATIC WAY AT WALMART, AND NOW THAT SHE IS NO LONGER ON THE BOARD HAVING TO PRAGMATICALLY FACE THE REALITY OF THE HEADS OF LARGE CORPORATIONS, SHE CAN CONTINUE HER QUEST TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY A BETTER PLACE FOR THE AVERAGE CITIZEN UNENCUMBERED.
Its a shame you didn;t bother to read the New York Times article on the same subject. What I really thought was the punchline in the story of her being silent on anti-union policies is the following quote:
"In Mrs. Clinton’s complex relationship with Wal-Mart, there are echoes of the familiar themes that have defined much of her career: the trailblazing woman unafraid of challenging the men around her; the idealist pushing for complicated, at times expensive, reforms; and the political pragmatist, willing to accept policies she did not agree with to achieve her ends.
“Did Hillary like all of Wal-Mart practices? No,” said Garry Mauro, a longtime friend and supporter of the Clintons who sat on the Wal-Mart Environmental Advisory Board with Mrs. Clinton in the late 1980s and worked with her on George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign."
My father was first the supervisor of many chain supermarkets in a Midwest urban area, and then later at his request (to spend more time with our family), downgraded slightly to manager of a huge supermarket drug store combo than dominated the small farming town area we lived in for probably a 30 mile radius. To me, God gave me the best possible father on earth, and I've thought that from birth till now (he's been my icon of a loving good man my entire life). So, all my childhood I heard from a source I always adored about his daily struggle with managing a large group of people and getting their support and affection, getting fabulous profit margin results, while avoiding unionization (which was a strong company policy). The employees never striked, except for the truck drivers who were members of the Teamsters.
Since that time, I for years was a highly and loudly pro-union member of the CWA at one of the pre-deregulation ATT entities, and joyously participated in the strikes. My union made sure that as a service rep I received literally middle class (like right in the middle) wages, got fabulous benefits, and made management go through a complex lengthy process to fire someone. Management hated my guts because I was so vocally pro-union, and it killed my chance of promotion.
Later, as a lawyer, my biggest client was one of the top AIDS hospitals in the nation. It avoided unionization by giving just a slightly lower to sometimes equal salary as the unionized hospitals, but apparently more perks and a more collegial benevolent employer environment. The guy I dealt with, the Pres. and CEO was the quintessential liberal pro-all minority civil rights ultra rich Democrat and part of the city's Democratic elite. When the hospital sold out to the largest hospital in the City, he got a more or less permanent position on the board of the larger hospital, and also was President and Ceo of the charitable foundation formed with assets from the sale. He was a blast, but when I started attending some board meetings to discuss major litigation, I learned that he too had to report to someone: the Chairman of the Board. The Chairman was ultra Republican (not religious at all - a money motivated Republican, and obnoxious as hell. My Pres and CEO had to not only deal with him, but socialize with him. While doing that, my Pres and CEO created the most nurturing top of the line AIDS hospital you could imagine, made it as psychologically comforting as possible before anti-retrovirals, and integrated the communities afflicted with AIDS into hospital decisions. But his boss, who approved all this for monetary gain only, disliked minorities. My Pres and CEO now on the board of the large hospital, will always be anti-union.
The reason is simple. There is not a single business in America that is pro-union for financial and hassle reasons. If you are on the board of a large corporation and are pro-union, every other member of the board will adamantly oppose you and will discount anything you say on any other issue. That's just the reality, and it always will be absent nationalization of businesses. Under capitalism, the Board's allegiance is to the shareholders who elect them to protect their interests, mainly their share price.
Hillary's silence on Walmart's union policies is absolutely no indication of how she felt about unions at the time. Rather, had she spoke out against the company's union policies she would not have been able to accomplish anything - and she did her absolute best to accomplish two things: Walmart's employment of women in management and creating eco-friendly Walmart stores. One Walmart store created under Hillary's guidance was extremely effective at cutting energy costs and the design has been widely followed by other large retailers.
Of course, Walmart continues to have problems, and Hillary no longer has to remain silent on union issues she was friendly to, even as she sat on the Walmart board. Walmart is a rough nut to crack, and if Hillary had spoken out against the union policies of the company while on the board, she would have been unable to accomplish the things she did accomplish while there.
I've noticed that Hillary bashers never seem to have any interest in the actual facts of Hillary. This blog was poorly researched, ignored the nation's pre-eminent newpaper, and also ignored the reality of today's business world or the legal reality of the duty of directors of a large corporation to the shareholders.
Maybe if you actually listened to the well-reasoned opinions Hillary has openly shared with the American public and heard Hillary talk about the compassionate and well-reasoned legislation she has introduced in the Senate on our major issues, any future blogs by this author might not be so intellectually shabby. Hillary is waiting to talk to you at hillaryclinton.com, after you click the video button.
Please, next time, think things through before you type out the blog.
Phil at 4:17AM on May 21st 2007
3. Whatever happened to the "Rodham Clinton" she used to insist on ? Oh, She is now trying to get elected on the strength of her husbands name ! To hell with the feminist independence. For now anyway. I get it , more calculating and political posturing. Thats what I love about this woman, Her honesty and integrity.
Tony Linder at 4:14PM on May 21st 2007
4. Haleluia! Republican campain of undermining integrity of their oppornents has started! Shoot the messenger, ingnore the message has been republican staple of compaining for last 20 years. Yeah, sure. Whatever, if she has killed a few union employees I would not mind. This administration has killed and maimed over 3,000 young americans, is led by a deserter and a former alcoholic and got this country in a bind to chinese. Great! All better than Hillary not showing anough compassion for uniun worker. Bozo!
garyA at 5:59PM on May 21st 2007
5. It is called spin...some people are smart enought to make their own minds up. If Hillary didn't stand a chance most folks would not care about anything that she has done, is doing, or has thought about doing. She must scare them. (Sorry, I forgot, scaring is the current administrations tactic.)
You go Hillary! She will make a great President.
Beth at 8:27PM on May 21st 2007
6. OFTEN, YOU HAVE TO PICK YOUR BATTLES . MAYBE PERMANENTLY. MAYBE TEMPORARILY - IF SO, THEN YOU SAY, "" LATER FOR YOU.." (I'M RESPONDING TO A CRITICAL COMMENT RE HILLARY'S WORK W/ WAL MARTS.....I JUST BET THEY'RE A 'LATER-FOR -YOU'- MOVE) (NOW, SHE'S CURRENTLY REFUSED THEIR POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS...CORRECTO?)
RLaurenAnna at 10:10PM on May 21st 2007