Dozens Of Call Center Workers Walk Off Job In Protest Rather Than Read McCain Script Attacking Obama

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from TPM: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/dozens_of_call_center_workers.php


October 27, 2008, 5:18PM

Some three dozen workers at a telemarketing call center in Indiana walked off the job rather than read an incendiary McCain campaign script attacking Barack Obama, according to two workers at the center and one of their parents.

Nina Williams, a stay-at-home mom in Lake County, Indiana, tells us that her daughter recently called her from her job at the center, upset that she had been asked to read a script attacking Obama for being "dangerously weak on crime," "coddling criminals," and for voting against "protecting children from danger."

Williams' daughter told her that up to 40 of her co-workers had refused to read the script, and had left the call center after supervisors told them that they would have to either read the call or leave, Williams says. The call center is called Americall, and it's located in Hobart, IN.

"They walked out," Williams says of her daughter and her co-workers, adding that they weren't fired but willingly sacrificed pay rather than read the lines. "They were told , `If you all leave, you're not gonna get paid for the rest of the day."

The daughter, who wanted her name withheld fearing retribution from her employer, confirmed the story to us. "It was like at least 40 people," the daughter said. "People thought the script was nasty and they didn't wanna read it."

A second worker at the call center confirmed the episode, saying that "at least 30" workers had walked out after refusing to read the script.

"We were asked to read something saying Obama and Democrats were against protecting children from danger," this worker said. "I wouldn't do it. A lot of people left. They thought it was disgusting."

This worker, too, confirmed sacrificing pay to walk out, saying her supervisor told her: "If you don't wanna phone it you can just go home for the day."


read more: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/dozens_of_call_center_workers.php

[Tumbulu]

1. Wow, change is upon us

thanks brave workers for your decency!

[Top Cat]

2. I'm sorry the had to give up their pay checks but flad they made the right decision

[BlooInBloo]

3. That was sofa king wonderful of them!

[clixtox]

14. So few new (to me) cute ways to say things, "sofa king" is wonderful! N/T

[BlooInBloo]

17. :) I wish I could remember where I first saw it - I'd cite it.

[Union Thug]

4. That's how it's done! Good job. Shut 'em down!

[ACTION BASTARD]

5. Now that's courage of your convictions right there! Republicans don't

know the meaning of courage. These people got balls to tell the boss in his face to go fuck yourself.

[FLyellowdog]

6. They are people who have high moral standards. I'm so proud.

[leveymg]

7. Aren't these calls normally made by campaign volunteers? Why contract this out to a private firm?

Is the McPain campaign that short on volunteers that they have to pay a company to make these calls? Or, is this a 527 operation? Something stinks about this.

[Richard Steele]

9. Yes, McCain is that short on volunteers.

The type of Republicans who might normally volunteer for campaigns
are just not terribly excited by McCain.

And the fired-up racist asswipes that Palin draws aren't the sort
who volunteer for things.

[GetTheRightVote]

8. You have to be careful how hard you push decent people or they just might quit on you.

Nice going and nice to know that regular people of good character still make a stand for the right reasons. Thank you.

:bounce:

[riverwalker]

10. I got a live robocall today

she was talking really fast about Tony Rezco....Bill Ayers...yadda...Then I said in my sweetest grandma voice "Well, thats just the biggest load of Bull Shit isn't it?" She started laughing and then I said "how fucking desperate are they"? She was laughing so much she couldn't finish her script. I think they get alot of that reaction.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Guess they hired people with more principles than the repukes have.

[TragedyandHope]

12. K&R!

[asdjrocky]

13. Too bad we can't take up a collection for the ones that walked off.

[The Traveler]

15. Brothers and sisters

There has to be a way for us to chip in and help these hard working Americans who, despite the vulnerability their low pay implies, refused to sell themselves to serve a vulgar cause.

Let's pass the hat, guys. Seriously. Time to chip in for our brothers and sisters who stood up and did right.

Trav

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. this should be big headline news!

[Telly Savalas]

18. The real news in that story is that there's actually a call center in Indiana, not India

[struggle4progress]

19. Imagine what we could do with an organized grassroots