Jobs with Justice names its "Grinch of the Year

Salt shakers
January 2003

Jobs with Justice names its "Grinch of the Year"
General Electric was the online favorite, but George W. Bush and perenial front runner Wal-Mart were tough competition in an annual web contest to determine who did the most harm to workers and their families in 2002.

General Electric won the Grinch of the Year election with 37 percent of the total votes. Despite record profits, GE wants working families and retirees to pay substantial increases in health care costs. The increases are the first ever mid-contract and are just the tip of the iceberg according to GE, which says that come 2003 negotiations it will seek even more cost shifting. While GE "picks the pockets of working families and retirees," says Jobs with Justice (JwJ), "it is lavishing perks on current and retired executives."

Most notorious is former CEO Jack Welch's contract where GE paid for everything from his laundry, vitamins, and cable TV to VIP seats at Yankee stadium, a luxurious apartment, and a Boeing 737 jet airplane. GE complains about rising health care costs, but doesn't want to work to fix the system because it makes millions off its Medical Systems division and health care financial services operations, JwJ charges.

GE workers will present the award to local plant managers in the coming months. By publicly awarding the Grinch of the Year Award, our hope is that the GE managers' hearts will grow 3 sizes bigger, as Dr. Seuss envisioned.

In a repeat performance of his 2000 Presidential run, George W. Bush failed to capture the popular vote in this election, but did manage 30 percent of the vote for his anti-worker policies, according to JwJ.

Wal-Mart won third place in the national contest for the second year in a row for their "blatant disregard for workers' rights in the U.S. and abroad." However, Wal-Mart won local JwJ Grinch of the Year contests in St. Louis, Eugene, Oregon, and Milwaukee. Other popular candidates in the national election included the West Coast Waterfront Coalition, Comcast, and United Airlines.

From December 3rd though December 18th, JwJ held its second annual online election for the National 'Grinch of the Year.' Over 1,700 votes were cast in this year's election.

To learn more about the candidates' qualifications, visit www.jwj.org/Grinch/2002Vote.htm.

Each year JwJ coalitions across the country hold local Grinch of the Year elections to determine the most deserving greedy Grinch in their hometowns. So far this year's local winners include: Wal-Mart, the Kentucky Courier-Journal, LSG Sky Chef, Waste Connections, and the Greater Providence, RI Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about this year's local winners visit www.jwj.org/Grinch/2002Local.htm.

VOTING BREAKDOWN
General Electric - 37 percent
George W. Bush - 30 percent
Wal-Mart - 22 percent
All Other - 11 percent

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