|
Wal-Mart's union busting continues in Canada, secret agent pushes Windsor workers not to organise (9 March 2005) |
Like a thief in the
night: Wal-Mart sneaks out of Jonquière, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed Like a thief in the night, Wal-Mart has sneaked out of Jonquière in Canada, a week before the announced closing of its store, today, on 6 May. The closure on 29 April came as a response to the workers having joined their union, UFCW. - Every bully is a coward, said Michael Fraser, the national director of UFCW Canada, commenting last week on the Bentonville-based retail giant's decision. - Wal-Mart was afraid if they waited till next week the media and outraged citizens would be there for the closing, he added. A National Day of Action has been announced for 6 May at Wal-Mart locations in Québec, and for 7 May in other parts of Canada. Wal-Mart was also quite apparently afraid of a ruling by the Québec Labour Commission to consider a series of UFCW complaints over unfair labour practices. - They were also scared that the labour commission might order them to keep Jonquière open. Once again Wal-Mart has demonstrated that the only rulebook it plays by is its own, Michael Fraser said. In spite of the early closure, first contract arbitration will soon take place between UFCW Canada Local 503 and Wal-Mart regarding the Jonquière store. Arbitration is scheduled to commence May 11th under the authority of an arbitrator appointed by the Quebec Ministry of Labour. First contract negotiations also continue for a Wal-Mart store recently certified in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec. The charges now before the OLRB detail that a former undercover operative supplied money, equipment and strategic union-busting directions to some Windsor Wal-Mart workers in the wake of the union certification of the store's employees in 1992. Later, two of the employees who led the drive to decertify the union received an all-expenses-paid invitation directly from Premier Harris's office to be with him when he announced changes to the Ontario Labour Relations Act, including the stripping of powers of the OLRB referred to as "the Wal-Mart amendment". Those two employees later received an additional 500 Dollars apiece from the Premier's office for attending the press conference. |
