CANADIAN LABOUR GATINEAU QUÉBEC:

SECOND ORGANIZED WAL-MART IN NORTH AMERICA:

A recent Labour Board decision has certified a Wal-Mart in Gatineau Québec as the second unionized Wal-Mart on the North American continent. The only other location now represented by a union is also in Québec in St. Hyacinthe. Previous attempts to unionize Wal-Mart in Québec and in locations as far afield as Texas and Weyburn Saskatchewan have been beaten back either legally or by the expedient of simply closing the outlet affected.

The latter is both a favoured threat and a favoured action on the part of Wal-Mart management. The largest example of this was when Wal-Mart decided to withdraw from the whole German market rather than tolerate unions in its stores in that country. The only country where Wal-Mart is happy to coexist with a unionized workforce is...China. In China's case the "union" is, of course, the official government controlled federation which takes its marching orders from the Communist Party. Nothing could be plainer in pointing out the ideological affinity of neo-conservative managerialism and it communist counterpart. Two sides of one coin.

This Board decision may benefit the workers involved only marginally as the wage increases stipulated were only minimal, and the biggest issue, the use and abuse of the part time system, remained outside the Board's decision. Still it shows that even the Wal-Mart colossus is not invulnerable. It is a shame that the unions involved in Wal-Mart organizing are not imbued with at least a minimum of the internationalism and industrial unionism of the anarcho-syndicalist unions or revolutionary syndicalist unions such as the IWW. Things would go much better then.

Be that as it may if you want to follow the misdeeds of Wal-Mart in more detail Molly can suggest the following sites: Wake Up Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart Watch. It`s almost a classic 'Perils of Pauline' series complete with evil top-hatted capitalist. A refreshing old fashioned morality play in an age when the corporate rulers more often than not adopt fuzzy "progressive" and "new age" public personae. Here`s the story from the CBC.

WMWMWMWMWM
Quebec Wal-Mart workers get rare union deal
Only one other North American Wal-Mart has a collective agreement

CBC News
The contract covers more than 150 employees at the store on Boulevard du Plateau in Gatineau. (CBC) Workers at a Wal-Mart store in Gatineau, Que., have won a new collective agreement, only the second at any Wal-Mart store in North America — but not everyone is celebrating.

A government arbitrator imposed the agreement, after negotiations between the union and retailer were judged to be going nowhere.

The contract covers more than 150 employees at the store on Boulevard du Plateau. It took three years for the United Food and Commercial Workers to unionize the store, and another two years to get the contract.

"We had a first assembly last night to present the first collective agreement that was imposed by the Labour Board of Quebec," said union member Matthieu Allard.

He said the collective agreement gives employees a grievance process, recognizes statutory holidays and considers seniority in determining working hours.

Wages will go up 30 cents an hour this year, and another 30 cents next year. None of the employees, however, would say how much an hour they make now.

The arbitrator modeled it on the contract at the Wal-Mart in St-Hyacinthe, Que., the only other store with such an agreement.

"It might not have been as much as we could have gained in a normal negotiation process, but it's a definite step forward," Allard said.

Some employees at the store think otherwise.

In the parking lot outside the store, Denise Barre said she and her coworkers are disappointed with a 30-cent-an-hour raise, especially when it means paying union dues.

She said only 13 of the 150 employees went to Wednesday night's meeting with the union, which she says shows employees aren't interested.

Barre said she doesn't need this contract.

She said Wal-Mart treats her well and gives her benefits.

In a statement, the company also pointed out that the arbitrator found its wages competitive with other retailers, and adopted the wage scale Wal-Mart proposed.

The union said employees at the store were concerned by Wal-Mart's previous actions at unionized stores, but the Gatineau location is busy, and they hope Wal-Mart will not close it

In 2005, Wal-Mart closed a store in Jonquiere, Que., days before an arbitrator imposed a contract for its employees. The employees took Wal-Mart to court over the closure but lost their case.

In 2008, Wal-Mart also closed a tire shop on Maloney Boulevard in Gatineau after its employees received union certification.

The new agreement has a start date back in 2008, which means the union will be back to negotiating next year.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/10/08/ottawa-wal-mart-deal.html#ixzz11vWkUx1U

AMERICAN POLITICS/ECONOMICS:

"CORNERED"-THE BOOK:

Here's a little book plug for something the people at Wake Up WalMart consider well worth reading.

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New Book Cornered Discusses Walmart, Destructive Monopolies:‏
Do you want the real story about who destroyed America's REAL economy?

We wanted to recommend a new book that just hit the shelves. In Cornered: The New Monopoly Capitalism And The Economics Of Destruction, New America Foundation's Barry C. Lynn takes an explosive look at how Wall Street financiers took advantage of the overthrow of our anti-monopoly laws to consolidate unprecedented powers.

They use these powers in ways that destroy jobs, degrade safety, crush independent businesses, forestall innovation, harm our environment, and threaten the political foundations of our democratic republic.

Not surprisingly, Walmart is a major player in this disturbing story. Lynn discusses Walmart as one of the quintessential examples of the destructive monopoly, arguing that Walmart needs to change its ways not just for the benefit of workers or communities, but for the entire economy.
Endorsements for Cornered:
Cornered has changed my view of what's gone wrong with American capitalism. Brilliantly argued and meticulously reported, it confronts with the age-old enemy of both progressives and libertarian conservatives -- the power of monopoly.

-Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed and Brightsided.
This book is essential to understanding how we got into our current mess.

-Michael Mandel, chief economist, Business Week.
This is a truly groundbreaking and eye-opening work that everyone interested in understanding how the world really operates should read.

-Ha Joon Chang, winner Leontief Prize in economics, author Bad Samaritans.
Best Wishes,
The Team,

WakeUpWalMart.com

AMERICAN LABOUR:

BLACK FRIDAY DEATH-NOT ONE OF A KIND:

The following story and appeal is from the Wake Up Walmart people. For those of us out here in the civilized world 'Black Friday' is the name given to the first Friday after American Thanksgiving, when the dogs of consumerism are let loose upon the land and bodies fall left and right in the mad scramble for a supposed deal. Sort of like a Boxing day without gun control. The dreaded day is tomorrow which, incidentally, is also the first of two Buy Nothing Days being celebrated this year by others who are not drooling so much to spread their cash upon the fields of useless junk. But hopefully more about that later.

Last year Black Friday became infamous when Walmart employee Jdimytai Damour was trampled to death upon opening the door to a crowd of "shoppers" in Long island New York. A glance at the wikipedia entry for Black Friday above will show that he has not been the only victim, merely the one whose death was most publicized. This year Wake Up Walmart is asking you to help spread the word about the lack of safety at Walmart during this dark day. Here's the story.

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The Dark Side of Black Friday:‏
For Walmart, Black Friday has become synonymous with the tragic death of Jdimytai Damour: the Walmart worker trampled by an ill-managed "doorbuster" crowd at a Long Island Walmart. After a barrage of criticism following the stampede, Walmart characterized the tragedy as a singular "incident." Now, the truth is coming out.

According to Newsday, Damour's Walmart faced a similar stampede in 2007. A Black Friday crowd pushed the store's front door off its hinges before trampling fallen customers. The same article also covers a damning sworn statement by a local Walmart employee. During the Black Friday 2008 investigation, he noted, "I was there, like in past years, to help people up as they fall coming in the doors."

Looking back, the 2008 Black Friday stampede appears to have been a predictable annual affair. Walmart failed to adequately prepare for it. Mr. Damour died because of it.

You can play a part in keeping this year's Black Friday free of disasters like that which claimed the life of Jdimytai Damour. Join our online campaign to alert holiday shoppers and keep tabs on Walmart's handling of Black Friday crowds.
Spread the word to holiday shoppers: hold Walmart accountable for store safety on Black Friday.

Black Friday is likely to be bigger than ever in 2009. Polls suggest the possibility of a near 25% increase in participation this year over last. This, in concert with Walmart's aggressive promotion of holiday sales, will almost assuredly generate massive crowds this Friday.

If Walmart couldn't anticipate the Long Island tragedy, we can't rely on it to handle record crowds this year. We know Walmart has splurged on advertising, but we need your help to ensure it doesn't skimp on security.

Join our campaign for a safer Black Friday: ask holiday shoppers to tell their story about crowds spotted at Walmart stores, send us photos, and spread the word.
Help us hold Walmart to a higher standard of safety during this year's Black Friday blitz

Ogera Charles, Jdimytai Damour's father, has a simple request this year: that "the company and shoppers will do whatever is needed to prevent a repeat of last year’s disaster." Our hopes are the same. In that spirit, please join us in promoting safety and accountability during Walmart's Black Friday events.
Thank you for all that you do, and please enjoy a safe holiday weekend.
The Team,

WakeUpWalMart.com

AMERICAN LABOUR:

WORKING FOR WALMART-NOW THAT'S SCARY:

This one is mostly for our American readers who live in a country where health care insurance is, if it exists at all, is at the whim (or forced and grudging agreement) of employers. Employers such as Walmart whose 'generosity' is as bone thin as a Halloween skeleton. The following from the Wake Up Walmart group is asking you to protest the grinning toothed pumpkin behind the Walmart happy face mask. Walmart, of course, is hardly restricted to the USA, and I'm sure that many of us out here in the colonies would see fit to join this protest as well.

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What Is Behind Walmart's Mask?:‏
Apparently, every day is Halloween at Walmart headquarters. For months, Walmart has been dressed up as a health care champion: trumpeting support for the employer mandate and running ads about how "proud" it is of its health care record. In truth, Walmart's talk simply masks the reality of its health care failures.

Behind Walmart's PR mask is something uglier and scarier than anything you will see this Halloween. Behind the mask is the harsh reality of Walmart's notion of health care: unaffordable and inadequate coverage, nearly half of its employees without company health care, and staggering amounts of workers forced onto taxpayer-subsidized programs like Medicaid.

This Halloween, we want to do something a little different. We want to take off Walmart's mask and challenge the company to live up to its own rhetoric on health care. Join us. Take action, and help us "remove Walmart's mask" in time for Halloween.
Sign our open letter to Walmart CEO Mike Duke, calling for better coverage for employees and support for real heath care reform

Walmart claims it "won't be 100% satisfied until every American has quality affordable health coverage." Meanwhile, nearly 50% of its own employees are forced to look elsewhere for health insurance.

Walmart claims it offers quality plans. Yet, an average full-time Wal-Mart employee on the least expensive family coverage plan must spend over 20% of their yearly income before the health insurance provides any reimbursement.

When it comes to health care, Walmart is still part of the problem. Help make it part of the solution. Take action today: Tell Mike Duke to change Walmart's health care rhetoric into health care reality.
Sign our open letter and "take the mask off Walmart"
Thanks for all that you do,
The Team,

WakeUpWalMart.com

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THE LETTER

Please go to THIS LINK to read more and send the following letter of protest to WalMart

management.

AlAlAlAlAlAlAlAlAl

Dear Mr. Duke,
You have said Walmart cares about health care coverage. You have said Walmart claims to want reform. Last year, your company made $13 billion in profits. Yet, nearly 700,000 of your workers still go without company health care. That’s wrong.

Walmart claims that costs need to be controlled, but your own plans are unaffordable for many of your employees. These high costs force approximately 13% of your employees onto state health care programs like Medicaid and SCHIP in at least 8 states where data is available.

Mr. Duke, it’s your responsibility to lead Walmart toward better health care coverage. Do the right thing, make your actions match your words: your employees deserve the quality, affordable health care coverage you claim all Americans should have.

AMERICAN MEDIA:

WALMART AND HATE SPEECH:

Here's an interesting item from the Wake Up Walmart group. Seems that the Big Unsmiley is only trying to shut down free speech in Canada (see previous items at this blog). Down in the USA there are some other sorts of speech that Walmart seems wiling to promote.

AMAMAMAMAMAMAM
Corporate Sponsored Hate Speech:‏
Barack Obama "has exposed himself as a guy... who has a deep seated hatred for white people or the white culture." "This guy, I believe, is a racist."

This is the kind of drivel Glenn Beck has been spewing lately. We know. We know. Not much that comes out of the Fox News host's mouth surprises you anymore, but guess what: Glenn Beck's hate speech is being sponsored by, you got it, Walmart.

Other major advertisers (i.e. Geico, Proctor and Gamble, and Lexis Nexis) are pulling their ads from Glenn Beck's show in response to his disgraceful rhetoric. Not Walmart.

It's time for that to change.

Join the fight to end Walmart's financial support of Glenn Beck's televised hate. Tell Bentonville that you demand Walmart pull its ad dollars from Glenn Beck's show right now.
Send a letter to Walmart executives denouncing their financial support of hate speech

Walmart has inserted itself into the public discourse on everything from health care to the environment. Because of Walmart's size, its messages reach many. But, with great power comes great responsibility.

It is imperative that Walmart takes a stand against hateful and extreme rhetoric, and they can start by pulling their financial support of it. Other major advertisers have already taken the lead: it's time for Walmart to step up and do the right thing.
Write Walmart today: help kick racism and hate speech off the airwaves
Thanks for all you do,
The Team,

WakeUpWalMart.com

ALALALALALALAL

THE LETTER:

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following protest to WalMart management.

ALALALALALALAL

Dear Carlos Sanchez,
It has come to my attention that your company is a major financial supporter of the Glenn Beck Program.

Glenn Beck has always been controversial, but his recent remarks about President Obama have clearly crossed the line from bad taste to blatant racism, accusing Obama of being "a guy... who has a deep seeded hatred for white people or the white culture."

As America's largest employer, with over 1.4 million employees of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, Walmart has a responsibility to take a stand against the kind of hate speech Glenn Beck uses to make his living.

I ask that you follow the lead of other responsible Fox Advertisers: pull your ads from the Glenn Beck show.
Thank you for your consideration,

CANADIAN LABOUR:

NO SMILIES ALLOWED:

This is the sort of lawsuit that springs either from malignant optimism or, more likely, a simple desire to use the courts as an instrument of harassment. Either that or it was thought up at a "too many martinis lunch by Walmart's lawyers. For some time the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada have had a website Walmart Workers Canada. To say the least the site is critical of Wal-Mart. The Big W, rather than answering the criticisms, or perish forbid actually make their workers' lives better and allowing them to unionize is trying to kill the union's freedom of speech by using the courts. What they want to censor will astonish you. Personally I hope against hope that the judge levies all costs against the plaintiff in this obviously vexatious lawsuit. Here's the story from the Wake Up Walmart site.

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Stop Walmart's War on Free Speech:‏
Remember when Walmart tried to restrict usage of the ubiquitous yellow smiley face? Well, the company's legal team is it again.

Walmart has filed an injunction against a website critical of its Canadian business practices, and their "legal basis" will outrage you. Walmart wants to stop WalmartWorkersCanada.ca from using the word "Wal-Mart" either "alone or with other words... in a color scheme of blue, white and gold." Even more ridiculous, the company wants to restrict the usage of circular shapes on the group's website!

If Walmart has its way, "an oval, circular or semi-circular design" will be off limits to groups critical of its business practices. We're sure you agree--this is simply too bizarre for words.
You can take a stand against Walmart's censorship threat. It takes just a few seconds to put the pressure on Walmart to respect freedom of expression.
Tell Walmart to respect free speech: sign our petition today

If we let Walmart set the standard for free speech online, there is no telling where the company's absurd demands will end. Can you imagine a world where Walmart has exclusive rights to blue, white, gold, and abstract geometrical shapes? Rest assured that Walmart can.

Please take a moment to show your solidarity for the activists at WalmartWorkersCanada.ca. Sign our petition today, and don't forget to show your support online by hosting a banner on Facebook, MySpace, or your blog.
Help stop Walmart's war against the freedom of expression online
Thanks for all that you do,
The Team,

WakeUpWalMart.com

CLCLCLCLCLCLCL

Yup, that's the honest truth. Walmart would like to be able to control not just the ubiquitous smiley face but even colour schemes and geometrical shapes. There is now a Facebook group dedicated to opposing this bizarre attempt. See the Save the Circle facebook group. Yes folks the circle will become an endangered species if WalMart has its way. If you like sign the following petition against this act of corporate craziness by going to THIS LINK.

THE PETITION:

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We, the undersigned, jointly demand that Walmart adhere to the ideals of free expression.
Walmart must respect the sanctity of free speech, and must not unduly interfere with groups expressing their views with regard to Walmart, though they may be critical of Walmart's business practices.

The frivolous demands levied against WalmartWorkersCanada.ca, restricting the use of color schemes and shapes, are contrary to our most basic ideals, and must be retracted at once.
Signed,

CONSUMER AFFAIRS:

CAN YOU TRUST DRUGS FROM WALMART ?:

Cheaper is not always better-or even worthwhile at all. In search of cheaper pharmaceuticals many consumers head down to the Walmart Pharmacy. Like a regular pharmacy Walmart will dispense generic drugs unless explicitly requested not to by the physician. There is, however, a question about the source of many of Walmart's generic drugs. Generic drugs are not necessarily worse than brand name items, and there are many reputable generic suppliers. does Walmart, however, buy exclusively from such reputable companies ? Apparently not, as the following item from the Wake Up Walmart site explains.

For more on the 'Ranbaxy Scandal' that the article refers to see the Wikipedia article on Ranbaxy Laboratories and this article from the American Enterprise Institute.

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EXPOSED: CHEAP WALMART DRUGS COME FROM DISREPUTABLE SUPPLIER:
Is Walmart taking unacceptable risks sourcing its prescription drugs?
Today we released a new report detailing how Walmart sources its much-touted $4 prescription medications from Ranbaxy, the disgraced Indian drug maker.

According to the Department of Justice, Walmart's supplier is responsible for introducing potentially "subpotent, superpotent, or adulterated" drugs into the market. Medications used by millions of Walmart shoppers could have contained active ingredients from unapproved sources, in unapproved blends, and in amounts weaker than FDA-approved doses.

Despite the company's shady dealings, Walmart saw fit to award Ranbaxy with its "prestigious" Outstanding Supplier Award. In fact, Walmart continues to source from the embattled Indian manufacturer even today.

Don't let Walmart play games with the health of millions. Help us blow the whistle on Walmart for its customers to medications made by its unscrupulous supplier.
Let your local newspaper know the truth about Walmart's irresponsible drug sourcing

Despite years of federal warnings concerning "systemic fraudulent conduct," Walmart continues to source cheap drugs from Ranbaxy. This revelation comes on the heels of extensive PR campaigning to brand Walmart as a global health care and ethical sourcing leader.

If Walmart is interested in providing safe products from responsible suppliers, why is it handing out awards to companies under investigation by the FDA and DOJ? It shows, yet again, that Walmart is interested in little more than its own bottom line.

America deserves to know that Walmart has grossly violated the trust of its customers. Help us put Walmart's misconduct into the public eye: read the report and spread the word.
Write a letter to the editor about Walmart's cozy relationship with Ranbaxy.
Don't let Walmart off the hook, take action today.
Thanks for all that you do,
The Team,

WakeUpWalMart.com

AMERICAN LABOUR:

HELP WAL-MART EMPLOYEES DURING THE HOLIDAYS:

The merry jingle of cash register bells may be a little muted this holiday season in deference to our present recession (depression?), but you can be assured that the world's big box retailers are going to be trying their hardest to grind out yet more profit, often on the backs of their employees. None more so than the king of Cut Rate and Cut Throat, Wal-Mart.

No doubt you will be getting many appeals for help this season, but have a look at the following one, from the Wake Up Wal-Mart team, working to make life a little more tolerable for those who have to work for the world's biggest retailer.

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SHOW WAL-MART SOME REAL HOLIDAY SPIRIT:
This holiday season, every employee at Wal-Mart is projected to generate more than $2,000 in pure profit for the company. The numbers are staggering: from the work of 1.4 million Americans, Wal-Mart will reap billions of dollars in sales. But, is Wal-Mart holding up its end of the bargain?

We don't think so.

Wal-Mart is thriving in today's faltering economy, yet its employees struggle to keep their heads above water. Instead of giving back to working families, Wal-Mart is lobbying against overtime regulations aimed to benefit working Americans. Instead of giving business to America's struggling manufacturers, Wal-Mart continues to import over 70% of its goods from China. And, of course, Wal-Mart still pays poverty wages and offers unaffordable health care benefits.

If Wal-Mart won't give back to its hard working employees, we will. We're on a mission to give financial support to struggling Wal-Mart employees this holiday season, but we can't succeed without your help. Please contribute to our new Wal-Mart Workers' Holiday Fund today and give struggling Wal-Mart workers a chance at the kind of holiday they deserve.

Join our mission to benefit Wal-Mart workers this holiday season

While Wal-Mart's lavishly overpaid executives can afford to spend the holidays at ease, the average Wal-Mart worker will scrape by on poverty-level wages. Each week between now and the new year, we will shine a light on this inequity, beginning with the story of Beth Woods.

As a full-time Overnight Stocker, Beth has given Wal-Mart nearly three years of her working life, yet she makes only $10.47 an hour. Even with a full-time schedule, she can not afford to keep the health insurance her family needs. Wal-Mart's coverage is so expensive, she had to drop her plan after just two months of enrollment.

Now, just in time for the holidays, management has slashed Beth's schedule to 15-16 hours per week. Thanks to Wal-Mart, Beth may be spending her holiday season at the unemployment office. She has been forced to apply for state benefits in order to support her family.

We can't let Wal-Mart cast a shadow on Beth's holiday season. The hard working employees at Wal-Mart deserve better than poverty wages and unemployment lines. If you take action, you can give workers like Beth what Wal-Mart will not: hope.

Make the holidays a little brighter for all Wal-Mart workers--Help us grow our Wal-Mart Workers' Holiday Fund today

Together, we can show Wal-Mart some real holiday spirit.
The Team

WakeUpWalMart.com
P.S. Thanks for kicking off our 2008 Holiday Campaign. Stay tuned for new actions, videos, and more stories from the aisles of Wal-Mart.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

WAKE-UP WAL-MART NEEDS YOUR LETTERS:

If there is an international corporation that epitomizes globalization it is Wal-Mart. Today the corporation operates in 14 countries. According to the Wikipedia entry on Wal-Mart it is now the world's largest corporation both by revenues and by number of employees. Even when compared to public institutions it ranks #4 in the world (though items such as the PLA of China and the US military are left out). But speaking of globalization and China the same Wikipedia article notes that over 70% of the merchandise in Wal-Mart stores is manufactured in China. Is Wal-Mart just as much a part of the capitalist/public organization"China Inc" as the PLA ??

Not that Wal-Mart doesn't have its opposition. The two most prominent organizations are Wal-Mart Watch and Wake Up Wal-Mart. Both are basically coalitions of unions and social justice groups concerned with the (abysmal) labour policies of Wal-Mart. The following appeal is from one of these, Wake Up Wal-Mart, and it concerns a recent article in the New York Times basically saying that opposition to Wal-Mart is dying. help to prove the article wrong by joining Wake Up Wal-Mart in writing to the NYT.

..........................................

Your Story Was Not Told‏
From:
The WakeUpWalMart.com Team (info@wakeupwalmart.com)
info@wakeupwalmart.com

Check out The New York Times' website today and prepare to be disappointed. A new article claims the relationship between Andy Stern and Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott signals a general slowdown in the movement to change Wal-Mart.

We couldn't disagree more.

Look at our campaign's track record. This year, you've continued to spread our message, making WakeUpWalMart.com one of the largest grassroots movements in America. 427,000 grassroots activists have joined our campaign, a supporter base larger than the population of Miami.

Your overwhelming support for maltreated Wal-Mart workers like Debbie Shank and Olga Sanchez nearly crashed our web servers. Just this year, you've sent hundreds of thousands of emails to newspapers and politicians. Frankly, you've done more to change Wal-Mart in the past few months than we have space to mention.

The real story wasn't told in today's article, but your voice can still be heard. Write The New York Times today. Tell them you have not stopped working to make Wal-Mart a responsible corporation.

America deserves to know that WakeUpWalMart.com has NO intention of letting Wal-Mart off the hook.

Wal-Mart would be foolish to think greenwashing and spin will satisfy millions of its critics. They are also mistaken if they think one New York Times story will alter our course. If anything, it will only steel our resolve.

Don't wait to take action. Write The New York Times today. Tell them to write the real story. Your story.
Use this page to write The New York Times
Thanks for all that you do,
The Team,WakeUpWalMart.com

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

WALMART AND MOTHERS' DAY:

The following is from the Wake Up WalMart campaign, an international coalition against the labour practices of the international retailing giant. Tomorrow is Mothers' Day, and it is an especially appropriate time to look at WalMart's treatment of the mothers who work for them, at the same time as they peddle sentimental trivia for their consumers. Molly has a little trouble with the American patriotism of the following, but the underlying cause is good.

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Would You Treat Your Mother This Way?‏

Open your mailbox and you're likely to find an advertisement from Wal-Mart---twenty pages of smiling women and gift ideas for Mother's Day. Beneath the surface of those glossy ads is the unfortunate truth: Wal-Mart is quite possibly the most anti-family, anti-mother corporation in America.

Wal-Mart faces the largest gender-discrimination lawsuit of all time, with 1.6 million women suing over unequal pay and unequal opportunities. Its managers have told women they "don't belong in management" and that they "can't manage men." More recently, Wal-Mart has repeatedly denied military moms leave to see their children before they deploy to war zones.
Instead of printing more 20 page "Mom's day" ads, Wal-Mart should be printing 20 page apologies to every woman hurt by its unfair policies.

Today, we need to ensure that Wal-Mart respects the hardworking mothers employed in their stores. This Mother's day, join our mission to change Wal-Mart's anti-family policies for the betterment of women and mothers across America. Add your name to our petition to CEO Lee Scott and 3 demands for change.
Click this link to sign our petition
Change won't come on its own. We've seen time and again that Wal-Mart has little respect for mothers, or the sacrifices they make for their families. Just ask Olga Sanchez or Susan Lyons, two long-time Wal-Mart workers.

When Olga's son, Mark, was deployed to Iraq, she requested leave to see him off. Her request was denied. Wal-Mart told Olga that, as a department manager, her commitment was to the company. At Wal-Mart, unfair scheduling policies often take precedence over families, and over the morale of America's armed service members.

Olga's story is just the beginning. Last September, Susan Lyons learned her daughter would be on leave from Iraq during the following December. Susan requested a mere two days of vacation time to see her. Wal-Mart denied the request because of the holiday shopping season. When she expressed her disappointment, Wal-Mart told Susan that if her daughter's deployment upset her so much, her daughter "should not have joined the Air Force."

These stories are a slap in the face to mothers, and they insult the dignity of the armed service members we also celebrate in May.
Don't let Wal-Mart continue to treat mothers this way.

Sign our petition today.

Keep the pressure on Wal-Mart to change and you can make these outrageous policies history.
Sign on to our 3 demands for change, add your name to our petition today
Thanks for taking action, and have a happy Mother's Day.
Meghan ScottWakeUpWalMart.com

WHERE NOT TO SHOP FOR MOTHERS' DAY:

Mothers' Day is just around the corner, and Molly is in search of an appropriate gift. A nice bouquet garnished with a few sprigs of catnip would be appreciated. But one place not to shop...Wal Mart. The people over at the Wake Up Wal-Mart organization have been campaigning for years around the various ways that Wal Mart short changes workers and communities. In the run up to Mothers' Day they have launched a "Moms Deserve Better Than Wal-Mart" campaign. They are looking for people to sign a pledge that will be forwarded to the corporation saying that you refuse to buy Mothers' Day gifts from Wal-Mart unless they promise to pay a living wage, provide affordable health care and end their anti-family policies that hurt all women, especially moms, who work at Wal-Mart. Drop on over to the website bookmarked above to join this campaign and to see what else is new in the world of information about and of putting pressure on Wal-Mart.

SOLIDARITY REQUESTS FROM HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE:

Here's a "full house" of solidarity requests from a number of different people.

First, from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, whose work Molly has often featured on this blog comes a request for donations to help them fly representatives to Mexico to meet with the Frente Popular Francisco Villa, a grassroots organization that dates from 1968 in Mexico and which mobilizes poor people to fight against neo-liberalism in that country. The FPFV has invited OCAP to their quadrennial convention, and OCAP hopes to raise funds to send a couple of delegates. Housing and food will be provided by the FPFV, but air fair is estimated at about $1,000 for two people. OCAP is looking for donations for this travel which will hopefully lead to joint campaigns and other coordinated action. Consult the website or write cheques to OCAP at:

OCAP

10 Britain Street

Toronto, ON

M5V 1R6

Second, the Labour Start online solidarity site, whose efforts have also been featured previously on this blog has launched a new campaign to further pressure Wal-Mart to urge their suppliers at the Chong Won factory in the Philippines to not just reinstate fired workers (international pressure has already achieved this) but also for the management of that factory to negotiate in good faith with the union representing employees at that plant. This campaign has also been mentioned previously on this blog. To join the latest effort at pressuring Wal-Mart go to http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforver/show_campaign.cgi?c=222

Speaking of Wal-Mart, the WakeUp WalMart site has launched a new campaign to pressure the US Congress to investigate what they call the "Wal-Mart spy scandal". Wal-Mart has hired ex-employees of the CIA, the FBI and the Justice Department to spy on efforts to both unionize Wal-Mart and to make the company more accountable to communities and the general public. Wal-Mart calls their spy team the 'Threat Research and Analysis Group' . This "group" has already intruded on the privacy of numerous people, Wal-mart employees and otherwise, and the threat of this sort of private spy agency is equal to that of the growth of private armies of mercenaries in the employ of both the US government and private US business. To see what this is all about and join the campaign against it go to http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/bigbrother . Defend your freedom while there is still time.

Finally, from the Union Voice site comes two more appeals. One is from students at the University of Southern California who have discovered that their "licensed apparel" is manufactured in sweatshops. They are asking for emails to demand that the President of the USC adhere to the Designated Suppliers Program that they have constructed to ensure that the University clothes are produced by free labour that can earn a living wage. To join this campaign go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/uscdsp/gi566w44t5nt8k? . The Union Voice people also have another campaign demanding that American family Insurance pressure its contractor CleanPower to allow the janitors that it employs to form a union in the state of Wisconsin. To add your voice to this campaign go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/madison-janitors/gi566w2ot5nt58? .

Molly Note: When I try to type the links above for Union Voice the final "?" is left out of the link. If the links don't transfer you from this blog try typing the link in a search engine with the "?" added.

Further Molly Note: Some may question the "efficacy" of the sort of online campaigns listed above. In actual fact organizations like Labour Start have more than once listed their "successes" on their websites. Such campaigns sometimes win and sometimes lose. In this they are different from "militant" set piece confrontations such as the necromancy often tried to revive the moldering corpse of the "Black Block". This actions ALWAYS lose. They NEVER accomplish any goal beyond the personal psychology of the participants. Even if the success of online campaigns was only "rarely" it would be better than "never". Of course, I know that the definition of "success" used by ideologues who try and revive these failed tactics is quite different from that used by ordinary people and has nothing whatsoever to do with actually helping people to gain a better life. That's their goal. Molly has other goals, and she says that the tactics used by organizations such as those listed above at least sometimes win.

Molly