The light has recently been shown on Target corporation lately and a celebrity without makeup, it is NOT pretty.
It started out with Target spending $150,000 to fund anti-gay politics. That move drew boycotts and flashmobs.
Now a new controversy as a very cheesy anti union “indoctrination” video has leaked.
Full disclosure is I am a serous Target shopper. I shop there at least once a week and usually more. It is not realistic for me to boycott them since, Wal-Mart is out of the question. HOWEVER, this cheesy anti American video seems to focus on Grocery items. I can make sure that I will never buy another grocery item from Target again!
For those of you who would like to register your thoughts on this video here is the contact information:
CEO: Gregg.Steinhafel@target.com
612-696-6234
fax: 612-696-6325Assistant:
Denise May
Denise.May@target.com
612-696-6243Phone numbers for his direct reports…
Bart Butzer, VP Stores: (612)-696-4968
Christopher Perrigo, VP Target India: (612)-761-0613
Doug Scovanner, EVP Finance & CFO: (612)-761-6610
Janet Shalk, EVP Target Tech Services: (612)-304-5155
Jodee Kolzak, EVP Human Resources: (612)-696-6111
John Griffith, EVP Property Dev: (612)-761-1487
Kathee Tesija, EVP Merchandising: (612)-696-6134
Michael Francis, EVP Marketing: (612)-696-2822
Mitch Stover, SVP Distribution: (612)-304-2787
Stacia Andersen, President TSS: (612)-696-2856
Tory Risch, EVP Stores: (612)-696-2476
ED NITE UPDATE: This from Raw Story:
Two actors who appeared in an anti-union propaganda video for mega-retailer Target, which made waves on the Internet this week after being released by Gawker, have been discovered to be a part of the very evils their scripts warned so sternly about: labor unions.
And in a stroke of irony, the store’s anti-union spokesman, actor Ric Reitz, can be seen again later this summer filling the role of president of the United States in the Hollywood blockbuster Green Lantern.
He’s also had numerous roles in Hallmark’s Hall of Fame TV series and appeared in films such as Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Juwanna Man and Remember the Titans.
His co-star, Nicky Buggs, is also a union member who’s appeared in movies like Secret Lives of Bees, Road Trip and TV show Army Wives.
Target even shot its commercial with the blessings of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), a union.
“If someone hires me to play a rapist, does it make me a rapist? You take the job, and you’re an actor,” Reitz reportedly told Salon’s War Room. “Am I pro-union? Absolutely.”
Here’s why Target is showing this video to its employees.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/06/09/target-unions/
The election is, I believe, tomorrow.
As an employee of said company, I actually agree with some of the claims made by the New York employees. The hours aren’t being divvied up appropriately to allow team members to meet the necessary weekly average (for some things, 19.5 hours/week; in others, 31.5 hours/week) in order to qualify for benefits (vacation time, health benefits, paid holidays, etc.). I can give examples off line if you’re interested.
Sounds like Target is following the Wal-Mart model. Keep your employees either ineligible for health insurance, or at a level of hour and pay that prices your employees out of the health insurance, and then do whatever you can to encourage enrollment in state Medicaid programs.
It’s great for shareholders and fat cat CEO’s, not so much for employees and taxpayers.
What a great video, I will be sure that I let Target know they are doing a great job. The company I work for is a Fortune 500 company with over 20,000 employees. They got rid of their last division that was unionized a couple of years ago, while they do not have a video as strong as Target does they do make it very clear that unions will never get back into the company.
UPDATED