Campaigning in the Plants

Throughout General Electric's 157 U.S. plants last week, volunteers distributed empty envelopes to bosses and workers alike. G.E. is asking each of its 250,000 employees to put at least an hour's pay in the envelopes as a political contribution to the party or candidate of his choice. As Election Day approaches, more U.S. corporations than ever are urging their employees at all levels to give time, money and votes to politics. More than 500 companies--including such giants as Alcoa, Ford, Humble Oil, Equitable Life, U.S. Steel and Westinghouse--now have programs to encourage such participation, and 450 companies have also hired fulltime public-affairs directors to stir up political interest.

Secrecy Ensured. That is quite a change from the prevailing attitude of only a few years ago, when most companies remained aloof or downright forbidding about employee participation in politics. Some companies still feel that way--General Motors is one example--but they are slipping into the minority. For one thing, businessmen have realized long ago that corporations have a large measure of responsibility for society. Enlightened self-interest also plays a part; though the vast majority of the programs are scrupulously nonpartisan, business leaders naturally hope that some of their political and economic views will brush off on participating employees.

The most common effort to encourage political awareness is through bipartisan fund raising; Kimberly-Clark, Monsanto, Western Electric, Travelers Insurance, Pittsburgh Plate Glass and Westinghouse all have staged such drives. Aerojet-General recently collected $138,000 from employees, Hughes Aircraft $85,000. Like most companies, G.E. tries to ensure secrecy for the donor, routes contributions through a local bank to the party or candidate that he designates. This year U.S. companies are expected to raise up to $2,000,000 for politics, not counting the large individual contributions made by many corporate officers.

Impressive Returns. For many companies, fund raising is just the beginning. They have set up special public affairs educational programs, many of them using how-to-do-it political handbooks distributed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Borg-Warner has its "Participate in Politics" program, Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing its "Citizenship Participation Program," Boeing its "Practical Politics" course. Companies supply registration and voting information, also schedule films, lectures and personal appearances by local candidates. Courses in practical politics in U.S. industry have drawn 750,000 volunteer participants.

Many companies urge employees to plunge into politics not only as campaign workers but as candidates. Such companies as Alcoa, Ford, Chrysler and The California Co. grant time off for political work, and Chase Manhattan grants time off with full pay for employees who are elected to part-time political jobs. Chase now has 200 holding some kind of public office, from school committeeman to mayor. Last year 156 U.S. Steel employees went to the hustings and won election to local or state offices. Nine of 31 Ford workers running for office last month won, and 18 out of 42 won at Boeing. Detroit Edison's purchasing department alone boasts a Democratic mayor and a Republican city commissioner of nearby suburbs.

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