Insurance Company Employees Being Directed to Attend Anti-Reform Protests by Their Employers

[jsamuel]

Who could have guessed that some of the protesters would be from health insurance companies?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/major-health-insurance-company-urges-employees-to-attend-tea-parties.php

At least one major insurer is urging its employees to participate in tea parties.

Last week, UnitedHealth Group--the second largest health insurance company in the country--sent out a letter to its employees urging them to call UHG's United for Health Reform Advocacy Hotline to speak with an advocacy specialist about health care reform. The advocacy specialist, according to the letter, is there to help UHG employees write personalized messages to elected officials, and to arm them with talking points to use at local events in order to better oppose the public health insurance option.

...

However, a source who's insured by UHG--and who also obtained the letter--called the hotline on Tuesday and says the company directed him to an events list hosted by the right wing America's Independent Party, and suggested he attend an anti-health care reform tea party sponsored by religious fundamentalist Dave Daubenmire, scheduled for today outside the office of Blue Dog Rep. Zack Space (D-OH).

These people aren't being organized by the insurance companies???

[el_bryanto]

1. That's a bombshell

Of course the question is how much of the protests are these kinds of people and how many are nutty for other reasons; but this certainly indicates that some of them are not just innocent American citizens.

Bryant

[jsamuel]

3. indeed

[KittyWampus]

2. too bad the Insurance Co Executives don't show up. Cowards. I think the Insurance Cos

are going to end up getting kicked in the balls very hard soon.

The House Democrats are just beginning to ask for papers concerning Insurance Co. Executive compensation.

[nightrain]

4. knr. sad. good information. Not surprising!

[Hidden Stillness]

5. This has Become Common with Big Corporations

This kind of tactic is not new in the new deregulated global corporate empire. About five years ago or so, a group of women filed a class-action lawsuit against Mitsubishi for sexual harassmant at one particular plant. It was vicious, degrading, nothing was done, there was a very hostile atmosphere, no women were ever promoted, etc. Suddenly, as the case went to court (the women later won), there were all these big rallies and marches of Mitsubishi employees--"We Love Our Employer," "Mitsubishi Great for Women," etc. It turned out, the employees had gotten confidential memos ordering them to attend these things and make up great on-camera quotes for the stupid corporate media. They were paid as if on the job, and if they refused, they were put on a list, followed around at work, and given very bad work reviews. It was a threat. This is becoming common, since no one fights them anymore, and you can expect this degrading "use" of employees as slavish servants of their masters, in the most outrageous ways, to continue.