Marriott, on whose board Mitt Romney sat until earlier this month, has decided to remove adult content from its in-room movie options–a decision that would appear to have little to do with electoral politics, except that Romney was blasted by some social conservatives in 2008 for his connection to Marriott, in light of the soft-core in-room offerings. …
“When it comes to folks who actually work for a living–and negotiating on their wages, benefits, etc–we always hear the mantra ‘we must maximize revenue and value for the shareholders,'” AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale wrote in a mass e-mail to reporters today. “Interesting how this pillar of corporate philosophy seems to have gone right out the window when it comes to helping their billionaire buddy’s presidential campaign.”
It’s not that the AFL-CIO likes porn on its own merits, according to Vale; rather, it’s the “hypocrisy” of cutting a revenue stream that could be spent on higher wages. UNITE HERE, an AFL-CIO member, represents some Marriott workers.
We’re pretty sure the AFL-CIO doesn’t want to get into a shouting match over the merits of appeasing politicians or spending money on things unrelated to worker wages. (Does 171.5 million on the 2010 election ring a bell?) But we think this begs a greater question: Does the AFL-CIO have to weigh in on everything?
