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US commerce employers are still playing foul:
Large retailer faces federal charges for union busting

The United States is still difficult ground for trade union organising in commerce. A recent example of a major employer trying to deny its workers their right to union membership is that of Publix in Florida. Wal-Mart, the worlds largest employer, is of course a well known champion of union busting. A recent and perhaps more surprising company which has embarked on this questionable way is French Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, in its Indiana distribution centers.

UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW has experienced how Publix tries to influence the union representation vote of its workers through intimidation and other rights violations:

- An illegal management campaign of intimidation, harassment and coercion poisoned the election process at a Publix distribution center in Miami, Florida. On January 3 and 4, 2002, the first-ever union election was held at a Publix facility. Publix responded to the workers' organizing effort with a vicious and systematic union busting campaign. Workers could not decontaminate the poisoned atmosphere created by Publix prior to the vote.

- The giant Florida food retailer is facing federal charges alleging widespread violation of worker rights. Publix faces charges before the National Labor Relations Board for:

• Illegally firing union supporters;
• Illegally demoting workers based on their union sympathies; and
• Illegally restricting the right of workers to receive information about the union.

Publix earlier had to pay back wages in settlement of a charge filed by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 1625 alleging the company illegally fired a worker for union support in the Miami distribution center. In the past, Publix has had to pay tens of millions of dollars in settlement of charges alleging sex and race discrimination throughout the supermarket chain.

The UFCW will continue to fight with the Publix workers for their right to have a voice at work to improve wages, benefits and working conditions.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), with 1.4 million members in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, is the largest union of supermarket workers in the country. Workers at industry giants like Kroger, Safeway and Albertson's are represented by the UFCW.