In Leaked Docs, Honeywell Cites Obama Ties As Key to Anti-Union Strategy - In These Times

Posted on: Thu, 11/22/2012 - 00:46 By: Tom Swiss

More evidence (as if any was needed) that Obama is not a progressive: In Leaked Docs, Honeywell Cites Obama Ties As Key to Anti-Union Strategy

The third section, on Government Relations (GR), reveals Honeywell's hopes that its influence with the Obama administration can be leveraged to help combat union activity. Slide 18 of the confidential document states that Honeywell (HON) should “continue to grow positive relationships with elected officials, with federal agencies, focusing on local branches." These relationships, the document explains, "can be directed at union activity, if needed.” The plan suggests that Honeywell's Government Relations division can be used to “break up union cohesion across the country.” A picture of President Obama speaking at a Honeywell plant is included (see above), with a caption reading “HON has great relationships with Federal officials, focus is needed at the State and local levels."

Since the leak, Honeywell has claimed that the document was created by summer interns, and shouldn't be considered to reflect Honeywell’s positions or policies. Why exactly summer interns would be creating a document marked "Honeywell - Confidential" and that contains evidence that Honeywell had been tracking union activity at a dozen plants across the U.S., is left as an exercise for the reader.