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Wal-Mart
workers want better conditions: Uni Commerce affiliate UFCW continues its campaign to organise in Wal-Mart, world's largest retailer. Facing strong opposition from management, the union has made the first inroads in this giant company. Las Vegas in Nevada has become one of the focal points of the organising drive. - Las Vegas is the launching pad for Wal-Mart organizing across the country, says UFCW communications director Greg Denier to the local newspaper Las Vegas Review-Journal. In Nevada, Wal-Mart has 13 stores and three Sam's Club discount markets. Wages at Wal-Mart are low and employee benefits poor. The average pay is only 7 USD per hour and large groups of workers are not covered by medical insurance. This puts pressure also on established collective agreement standards in retailing. A high worker turnover rate, because of the poor benefits, makes it hard to organise in Wal-Mart. Unhappy workers often quit instead of trying to improve their situation. In a letter to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, UFCW vice president Mike Leonard says that also communities suffer from Wal-Mart's approach: - When a Wal-Mart associate cannot afford to pay the above average cost of Wal-Mart health insurance on a below average wage, taxpayers pick up the tab, he says. - The UFCW believes communities have the right to protect themselves from law-breaking employers who offer substandard wages and benefits. We believe that communities should be fully aware of Wal-Mart's track record in making planning, zoning, development or other decisions that will shape the future of the community. - If Wal-Mart
associates had an organized voice, many of the negative consequences for
the community could be offset, particularly in the area of health care. |
