Wal-Mart must give its union busting handbook to UFCW Local in Canada

Wal-Mart must hand over its union busting handbook to workers in Saskatchewan in Canada who want to unionise their store. The Supreme Court of Canada has turned down an appeal by the company and an earlier appeals court decision thus remains valid, confirming a Labour Board decision from last year, and ordering the documents to be given to UFCW Local 1400.

The UFCW Local has asked the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board to arrange a hearing, as part of the attempt to unionise the store. In this process, the union busting handbook is needed to enable the Board to determine whether the company has violated Saskatchewan labour laws.

- Wal-Mart has demonstrated it will do anything to deny its workers their constitutional right to join a union, including a Supreme Court appeal that basically argued the labour laws that cover other companies shouldn't apply to them, says Michael J. Fraser, national director of UFCW Canada.

- Wal-Mart's attempt to rewrite our labour laws to suit them is an affront to all Canadians, especially by a company found guilty numerous times for unfair labour practices in Canada, Fraser added.

Wal-Mart's former vice president Tom Coughlin was recently said to have used company funds for undercover union busting operations, paying informers who report on pro-union workers. UFCW has demanded that Wal-Mart disclose all material related to this, and a police investigation about Coughlin's funds use is on its way.