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Representative George Miller calls for investigation into Bush administration’s sweetheart deal with Wal-Mart on labor violations (link)

An appeals court in St Louis has found Wal-Mart guilty of violating labour legislation when disciplining a worker for wearing a union  t-shirt. Brian Shieldnight had also told fellow workers about a trade union meeting, which the Bentonville multinational did not accept.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals thus upheld a previous decision by the National Labor Relations Board, which ruled against the company in this case. Wal-Mart had forced Shieldnight to participate in a 'coaching session' for having displayed his union sympathies to his co-workers in the store in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

The United Food and Commercial Workers filed an unfair labor practice charge against Wal-Mart on Feb. 2, 2001, and the NLRB ruled on Sept. 30, 2003, that Shieldnight had not violated Wal-Mart's solicitation policy.

Wal-Mart is well known as the symbol of brutal anti-union and anti-worker behaviour and 'walmartization' is fast becoming a household word when talking about shrinking wages, disappearing benefits and unaffordable health insurance.