Workers - 1, Wal-Mart - 0: Employees Win Right to Unionize

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Posted by Daniel De Groot, Open Left

Per this DailyKos diary, a Wal-Mart store in Saskatchewan has won a 4-year battle with the company and is certified as unionized:

A Wal-Mart store in Weyburn, Saskatchewan has been granted union certification by the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board (SLRB) after years of Wal-Mart legal wrangling and delays, including two Wal-Mart applications to the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn the process.

This isn't in Pepsi-drinking, poutine manging, socialisté Q-bec either, but rural Saskatchewan (which just elected 13 Conservatives to its 14 ridings).

Wal-Mart, naturally is not taking this in stride.

CBC:

Wal-Mart Canada spokesman Andrew Pelletier said the decision is unjust because some employees didn't get to vote on whether to unionize.

"We're disappointed," he said. "Clearly, you know, our associates have been denied here a vote. They've been denied a democratic process. And we believe they should have that process.

Rhetoric sound familiar? It should:

Wal-Mart Canada said it will appeal the ruling to unionize, pointing out that many of the employees who

signed union cards

no longer work at the Weyburn store.

"The fact that you've got a store now with 104 associates ... and only 29 of them were even there at the time of the union's application, really speaks to the fact that it would be a bit of a stretch to assume that there is widespread support for that store for this union," said Andrew Pelletier, spokesman for Wal-Mart Canada.

Changes to Saskatchewan's Trade Union Act this year made it a requirement that a secret ballot vote be held, open to all employees in the proposed bargaining unit, before a union can be certified.

Paul Meneima, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1400, said the decision to unionize the Weyburn store fits with the pre-2008 act,

which allowed for union certifications when 50 per cent of employees, plus one, signed union cards.

Yup, Saskatchewan, in better times when it had an NDP government, had its own EFCA, which allowed a Wal-Mart in a conservative part of a fairly conservative province to unionize. Now that it has a conservative government, bye bye card-check.

Anyway, the company's position seems to be "Since we fought to delay this so long that many of the original employees have moved on, we demand a new election under the new us-favouring rules." Nice. I wonder how many of those departing employees left voluntarily?

The town's mayor is worried Wal-Mart will close the store, which is a real risk, but unlike many other places, there doesn't seem to be a lot of other places they could put a Wal-Mart nearby. If they close, they're likely abandoning this region of the province (and of course other retailers could move in).

A sad follow up on the 8 lube-shop workers who unionized at a store in Québec, Wal-Mart closed the garage in that store, saying it was losing money. They apparently did keep the workers at least, though.

As for the Union (UFCW) they have pending cases with the Sask Labour Board to unionize two other stores in the Province. Strength in numbers. Wal-Mart can't close every store down.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/111981/...t_to_unionize_/

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

fk walmart

[tsunamihart 0]

Posted by Daniel De Groot, Open Left

Per this DailyKos diary, a Wal-Mart store in Saskatchewan has won a 4-year battle with the company and is certified as unionized:

A Wal-Mart store in Weyburn, Saskatchewan has been granted union certification by the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board (SLRB) after years of Wal-Mart legal wrangling and delays, including two Wal-Mart applications to the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn the process.

This isn't in Pepsi-drinking, poutine manging, socialisté Q-bec either, but rural Saskatchewan (which just elected 13 Conservatives to its 14 ridings).

Wal-Mart, naturally is not taking this in stride.

CBC:

Wal-Mart Canada spokesman Andrew Pelletier said the decision is unjust because some employees didn't get to vote on whether to unionize.

"We're disappointed," he said. "Clearly, you know, our associates have been denied here a vote. They've been denied a democratic process. And we believe they should have that process.

Rhetoric sound familiar? It should:

Wal-Mart Canada said it will appeal the ruling to unionize, pointing out that many of the employees who

signed union cards

no longer work at the Weyburn store.

"The fact that you've got a store now with 104 associates ... and only 29 of them were even there at the time of the union's application, really speaks to the fact that it would be a bit of a stretch to assume that there is widespread support for that store for this union," said Andrew Pelletier, spokesman for Wal-Mart Canada.

Changes to Saskatchewan's Trade Union Act this year made it a requirement that a secret ballot vote be held, open to all employees in the proposed bargaining unit, before a union can be certified.

Paul Meneima, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1400, said the decision to unionize the Weyburn store fits with the pre-2008 act,

which allowed for union certifications when 50 per cent of employees, plus one, signed union cards.

Yup, Saskatchewan, in better times when it had an NDP government, had its own EFCA, which allowed a Wal-Mart in a conservative part of a fairly conservative province to unionize. Now that it has a conservative government, bye bye card-check.

Anyway, the company's position seems to be "Since we fought to delay this so long that many of the original employees have moved on, we demand a new election under the new us-favouring rules." Nice. I wonder how many of those departing employees left voluntarily?

The town's mayor is worried Wal-Mart will close the store, which is a real risk, but unlike many other places, there doesn't seem to be a lot of other places they could put a Wal-Mart nearby. If they close, they're likely abandoning this region of the province (and of course other retailers could move in).

A sad follow up on the 8 lube-shop workers who unionized at a store in Québec, Wal-Mart closed the garage in that store, saying it was losing money. They apparently did keep the workers at least, though.

As for the Union (UFCW) they have pending cases with the Sask Labour Board to unionize two other stores in the Province. Strength in numbers. Wal-Mart can't close every store down.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/111981/...t_to_unionize_/

Wal-marts typical practice is to close down the store should a Union win the right to organize the employees. Case after case has been documented. They believe in the trickle down theory...ur I mean urinating on the backs of their employees...We refuse to shop at any Wal-Mart for this and other practices. They're famous for moving to small town America (and Canada as well) and driving their competition out with ridiculously lower prices then their small town competitors, then when the competitors are gone the prices go "falling up"....

[star_dragon 0]

Yeah but that's in Canada. I bet we won't see that here in the US anytime soon.

I hate Wal-mart.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

fk walmart

indeed. We NEVER buy there. EVER. NO. ni madres.

[jundp 191]

I h8 WalMart too.

It's tough though, for people in rural areas where the ONLY option they have is WalMart.

[mawilson 2,133]

fk Canadian workers

Edited December 11, 2008 by mawilson

[Otto 83]

Worker's rights is one of the major reasons Wally World closed all its stores in Germany...couldn't practice it's own 'American Style Worker's Rights'... and good riddance...

[Kevin and 10]

Wally's claim when they started was "Made in the USA" .Then bought up the companies supplying them, after buy their suppliers they shipped the MFG to China. FVK Walmart.

Edited December 11, 2008 by Kevin and Tuyen

[Jasman0717 9]

Does this mean Wal-Mart will be the next biggie to fold

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Does this mean Wal-Mart will be the next biggie to fold

I they do, I won't shed one tear.

Seriously people, does anyone know how they treat their employees and abroad workers?

[mawilson 2,133]

Does this mean Wal-Mart will be the next biggie to fold

Nope - Walmart is doing great. WMT is up 12% since January.

[Otto 83]

Does this mean Wal-Mart will be the next biggie to fold

I they do, I won't shed one tear.

Seriously people, does anyone know how they treat their employees and abroad workers?

Yup..they're notorious in the retail world...

[kaydee457 13]

My wife works for Walmart. If it were unionized she would be out of a job as of right now.....

Unions have outlived their usefulness and are an impediment to productivity and fairness in the workplace.

Haven't we learned anything from the UAW and the Detroit debacle?

[jundp 191]

Does this mean Wal-Mart will be the next biggie to fold

I they do, I won't shed one tear.

Seriously people, does anyone know how they treat their employees and abroad workers?

I doubt they'll ever fold....

How about how they treat their workers right here in the US? My friend used to work for them....