Union at Quebec Wal-Mart gets green light
Quebec labour board rejects company challenge of unionization at one store
It will be interesting to see what happens next - the history of Wal-Mart and unions in Canada is disgusting on Wal-Mart's part. When Wal-Mart first entered Canada by purchasing Woolco, they eliminated 1,500 jobs and just by coincidence closed all the stores that were unionised at the time.
If their past behaviour is any guide, Wal-Mart will fight this to the nth degree and try and do everything to block the union or get them out after they get accredited. I would not be surprised if they tried to close the store if all else fails.
CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL - A Quebec labour board has rejected retail giant Wal-Mart's challenges to the unionization of one of its stores in the province.
Wal-Mart was contesting the composition of the bargaining unit but the decision by the Commission des relations de travail du Québec upholds the list of employees submitted by the union.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union presented signed cards in July from more than half of the eligible workers at the store in Saguenay, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City. The store has about 150 workers.
Wal-Mart had proposed a longer list of prospective union members in an effort to reduce the majority of support.
Despite the disagreement over the composition of the membership, the labour board accredited the union Aug. 2 because it met the required criteria.
"People are very happy," Marie-Josee Lemieux, president of the local union, said today in a telephone interview.
"We were euphoric Aug. 2 and that has been reconfirmed today. People are relieved."
She said the Wal-Mart workers in Saguenay can become a source of hope for the labour movement across North America.
Article comments
1 - RedTard
There goes the "everyday low prices."
2 - Jason Koulouras
Given wal-mart's sales per square foot, profitability and business model, they can easily afford to treat their employees better and pay them more money. I personally do not think there should be a race to the bottom on prices and therefore wages as well.