Can the company fire you for the way you vote?

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/26/can-company-fire-you-for-way-you-vote


'Coal country stands with Mitt' – but not voluntarily. Photograph: AP Photo

So many stories of employers pressuring their workers to vote for Romney have come out that you might think workplace intimidation was invented just for this election.

Romney certainly hasn't done much to dispel this perception. In a conference call to the National Federation of Independent Business, the GOP candidate was recorded encouraging business owners to:

"[M]ake it very clear to your employees what you believe is in the best interest of your enterprise and therefore their job and their future in the upcoming elections."

A number of Romney backers took it upon themselves to spell out more clearly to their workers what "the best interest for their job" really means. David Siegel, CEO of Florida's Westgate Resorts, emailed his employees that a second term for Obama would likely give him "no choice but to reduce the size of this company". Republican donor-activists Charles and David Koch were no less subtle when they sent 45,000 employees of their Georgia Pacific paper company a list of whom to vote for, warning that workers "may suffer the consequences" if Obama is re-elected.

Florida-based ASG Software CEO Arthur Allen informed his employees that he was contemplating a merger that would eliminate "60% of the salaries" of the company – should Romney lose. In Ohio, coal mine owner Robert Murray left employees in no doubt that they were expected to attend a Romney rally – off the clock and without pay. In Cuba, at least they pay workers for show demonstrations.

[djean111]

1. At this point in time, the company cannot know how anyone voted.

Unless, of course, Obama wins the county or state by 100%.
Something I would have thought ludicrous has just occurred to me, though - is it possible that corporations can purchase the ability to have a polling place right in their building? That's the only way they would really know how their own employees voted.

[fasttense]

2. I always thought that giving people receipts for their placebo vote on rigged electronic

voting machines could be dangerous.

Your Boss: "Bring me your voting receipt showing you voted for Romney and you can keep your job."

Your Boss: "Show me your voting receipt and I wont fire you, if you voted for Romney."