AMERICAN LABOUR:

WORKERS WIN INJUNCTION AGAINST WALMART CONTRACTORS:

Here's an interesting item and an appeal for solidarity from the Making Change At Walmart group.

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Workers win injunction against Walmart contractors
Posted on February 2, 2012 by benjaminwaxman

Yesterday, employees working for two Walmart contractors that operate warehouse facilities won a major victory in federal court. The U.S. District Court for Central District of California issued an injunction prohibiting two companies, Schneider Logistics and Rogers-Premier Unloading Services, from firing workers who participated in a federal class action lawsuit to recover stolen wages. As a result, workers will be able to keep their jobs, which were scheduled to be eliminated on February 24th.

Why did workers sue in the first place? According to Jose Tejeda, a worker who is employed by Schneider Logistics, conditions in the warehouses are pretty brutal. During a conference call organized by Warehouse Workers United, Tejeda said that workers were required to work long hours without a bathroom break and could be punished by supervisors for taking a sick day. Another worker, Manuel Gonzalez, said that workers are often required to work 12 hour days and do not receive overtime. These types of conditions are why Tejeda, Gonzalez, and other warehouse workers joined together to sue the Walmart contractors.

That provoked a response. Janet Herold, an attorney representing the warehouse workers, said that management in one of the facilities gathered together all employees and said that anyone participating in the lawsuit would “be crushed.” The employees were then notified that there would be a mass firing of all workers involved in the case. Thankfully, the ruling that came down yesterday means that workers will be able to keep their jobs.

However, a single lawsuit isn’t the answer to preventing this kind of abuse in the future. Walmart must adopt a responsible contractor policy, which would require any company working for the retail giant to meet basic labor standards. That’s the only way to ensure that warehouse workers won’t be abused in the future.

Click here to sign a petition supporting the Warehouse Workers!

CANADIAN LABOUR NEW BRUNSWICK:

STUDENT WORKER KILLED ON JOB AT WALMART:

Three days ago a grade 12 student working part time at the WalMart in Grand Falls New Brunswick was killed on the job, electrocuted while operating a floor scrubber at the store. One wonders if the store closed for even a minute out of sympathy. Here's the story from the New Brunswick Daily Gleaner.

NBNBNBNBNBNB

Victim died while working at store in Grand Falls
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

WorkSafe NB has launched an investigation into the apparent electrocution death of 17-year-old Patrick Desjardins of Drummond.

Desjardin was using a commercial floor scrubber in the garage section of the Wal-Mart store's automotive department when the incident occurred.

A defective extension cord is being examined as a possible cause.

WorkSafe NB said the garage area was damp and that the buffer machine was old.
( I guess that newer and safer equipment would lead to a price increase of 0.00001%- Molly )
"We start at the electrical panel and go all the way to the worker and look at what all the elements were and if all of them were in good condition," said Lise Malenfant, regional director, northwest region of WorkSafe NB.

Desjardins was found laying on the floor at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"He was found without signs of life, but there were no clear indications on his body as to the cause of death," Malenfant said.

Burn marks from electrocution occur where there is high voltage, but WorkSafe NB will study the results of the autopsy when it arrives.

Desjardins was transported to the Grand Falls General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy has been scheduled for this morning in Saint John. Grand Falls Town Police and a WorkSafe NB inspector are investigating.

Public expressions of condolence have come from school District 14 where Desjardins was a Grade 12 student at John Caldwell School in Grand Falls.

"Patrick Desjardins will be greatly missed by everyone. He was an outdoor person who loved fishing and camping with family and friends," said District 14 Supt. Lisa Gallagher.

"His friends described him as a generous, trustworthy, reliable, loving and kind person who would put a smile on their face," she said.

Although school doesn't resume until Jan. 11, John Caldwell School opened its doors Wednesday for staff and students who wanted to drop in to support each other.

"Support from the New Brunswick Teachers Association, School District 14, Parent School Support Committee and home and school have been present," Gallagher said.

With files from The Victoria-Star

CANADIAN LABOUR:

UFCW WINS BATTLE FOR FREE SPEECH:

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union of Canada has just won an important court victory against the Walmart giant. For 18 months a suit on the part of Walmart that attempted to shut down Walmart Workers website has wound its tortuous way through the courts. Two days ago the Québec Superior Court settled the lawsuit. Here's the story from Marketwire. This is important not just for the UFCW and Walmart employees but for all Canadians who value free speech.

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Union Declares Victory Over Walmart in Free Speech Battle
A Settlement Reached at the Quebec Superior Court Upholds www.walmartworkerscanada.ca , the Labour Rights Website Dedicated to Helping Walmart Associates Know and Exercise Their Rights as Workers in Canada


MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Dec. 15, 2010) - The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW Canada) is declaring victory in an 18-month free speech battle with Walmart that concentrated on the labour rights website www.walmartworkerscanada.ca. In June 2009, the world's largest retailer filed a motion with the Quebec Superior Court for an injunction against the popular and long-standing website maintained by UFCW Canada citing trade-mark infringement.

On Dec. 15 a confidential settlement was achieved that does not affect the continued existence of www.walmartworkerscanada.ca and its long-established commitment to communicating with Walmart workers in Canada about their rights.

"This is a huge victory for Walmart workers and their ability to freely communicate on the internet," said UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley from the Superior Court house within moments of the settlement win for www.walmartworkerscanada.ca , which will continue to be dedicated to helping Walmart workers to empower themselves and improve their lives through collective bargaining.

"Despite the best efforts of the world's largest corporation to dictate the terms of online communication, www.walmartworkerscanada.ca will remain an excellent labour rights resource, and will proudly continue a seven year tradition of serving Walmart Associates as a place where they can learn about their rights, and how to exercise those rights as workers in Canada," added Hanley. "Today's victory also ensures that www.walmartworkerscanada.ca will remain a safe and familiar place for Walmart workers to freely share their experiences with other Associates across the country without any fear of reprisal."

UFCW Canada has been leading the campaign to help Walmart Associates exercise their rights as workers in Canada for over a decade.



For more information, please contact

UFCW Canada
Michael Forman
National Representative
416.675.1104 x2249
mforman@ufcw.ca

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR MEXICO:

'WALMEX' DEFICIENT IN LABOUR AND SOCIAL EFFECTS PRACTICES:

Somehow I don't find the following story from the Maquila Solidarity Network surprising at all. Walmart is hardly likely to be nominated for either the Nobel Peace Prize nor for sainthood anywhere in the world. It's expected that its Mexican operations would be no better. The only surprise is that Walmart cooperated with the survey at all, let along incompletely. Here's the story....

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MSN report finds holes in Wal-mart de Mexico's CSR reporting and underlying policies
December 7, 2010

A new report by the Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) and Red Puentes Mexico concludes that although Wal-Mart Mexico (Walmex) has made significant efforts in recent years to improve its corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting, the company has considerable room left for improvement both on its CSR reporting and on the underlying social and environmental practices.

Authored by MSN, the report reviews Walmex's 2009 Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Report, to evaluate and rate the company's CSR reporting, and offer recommendations on how it can improve both its reporting and practices.

"As Mexico's largest private sector employer and the second largest retailer in Latin America, Walmex has an enormous impact on our country and region," says Jorge Molina, of Red Puentes Mexico, which coordinated the assessment.* "Walmex has a responsibility to improve its environmental and social policies and to keep the Mexican public better informed of the actions it is taking to meet or exceed national and international standards," he adds.

Overall, MSN found significant gaps in Walmex's reporting particularly on its labour and environmental practices. Based on its findings, MSN recommends that the company commit to more thorough reporting on important topics such as the presence of unions and collective bargaining agreements at its stores, as well as the negative economic and social impacts of its business practices on the communities in which it operates, two areas on which the company was silent.

"Walmex needs to better address underlying policy issues such as the presence of protection contracts in most of its retail outlets, its treatment of over 23,000 "volunteer" youth baggers and the lack of consultation with civil society stakeholders on social and environmental issues," says Beatriz Lujan, of the Authentic Labour Front, a member organization of Red Puentes Mexico.

According to Lynda Yanz of MSN, the report has been shared with Walmex, and the company has provided additional information that improved the final version. "We look forward to working with Walmex in an effort to improve the company's CSR reporting and its social and environmental policies and practices based on the report's recommendations," says Yanz.

*MSN's report was conducted as part of an assessment of five Mexico corporations (Walmex, Petróleos Mexicanos, Telefónica, S.A., CEMEX, and Industrias Peñoles) coordinated by Red Puentes Mexico. Each company's CSR reporting was assessed by a different team of researchers, using a common methodology based on the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines.

•Download a summary of MSN's new report (pdf)
•Download the full report (pdf)

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

HUMOUR:

WHAT IS IMMORAL ?:

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.

AlAlAlAlAlAlAlAlAl
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

AlAlAlAlAlAlAlAlAl

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 LABOUR:
THE GRAPES OF....WALMART:
Molly has reported before on the struggle of the United Farm Workers for justice for the agricultural workers employed by the Giumarra company. Here's the latest front in this campaign. The UFW are asking you to pressure the dreaded WalMart to demand responsibility from their main grape supplier- Giumarra. I dunno. Sorta like demanding that Hitler ask Mussolini to be more humane. (Actually such a thing did happen-once-in the course of the Second World War when the Nazis were offended by the brutality of the Vatican/Italian backed Ustasi in Yugoslavia)Worth a try anyways, as it is only part of a much larger campaign.
_____________

No smiley faces for Nature's Partner:
Tell Walmart to stop its supplier Giumarra's unlawful behavior
Walmart says it wants you to live better. But they apparently don't feel the same way about the workers who pick the grapes and other produce they sell in their stores. They sell grapes and other produce from Giumarra's Nature’s Partner label--despite knowing that this mega company abuses the grape workers who work in their vineyards.





Giumarra harvests approximately 1 out of every 10 bunches of grapes picked in the US. In addition they are a major label of imported and domestic produce. Combined with the market power of the Walmart behemoth, this huge conglomerate helps set the industry standard.





How does Giumarra abuse its workers? Here's an example. California law says a person needs to make twice the minimum wage before they can be required to buy equipment necessary to do their job. Giumarra workers make minimum wage plus on a good day perhaps an additional $8 a day piece rate bonus. Giumarra knows this law, but does that keep them from violating it? Not according to many workers we've spoken to.





Farm worker Monica Martinez, who has worked at Giumarra for the last ten years, tells the story:





"The equipment--gloves and scissors for grapes and other items--we must buy ourselves without any type of reimbursement or compensation. In 2005, after the election, they gave us the equipment for a while and then they stopped. Now they only give it when they want to. There are times when we need gloves and no one provides them. Making us work without gloves ruins our hands."





Enough is enough. Giumarra's illegal behavior must be stopped.
As a key buyer of Giumarra's imported and domestic produce--including grapes--Walmart has the ability to influence this produce giant. Please send Walmart an e-mail today and demand they exercise control over their suppliers by telling Giumarra/Nature's Partner to demonstrate corporate responsibility.
http://www.ufwaction.org/ct/n1zuCuF1DQa4/takeaction
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THE LETTER
Please go to the link above or to THIS LINK to send the following letter to WalMart.
_______________
Walmart says it wants customers to "Save Money, Live Better". However, your good wishes do not appear to extend to the workers who pick the grapes and other produce you sell in your stores, because you sell produce under the "Nature's Partner" label from Giumarra--a company with a shameful record of abusing the grape workers who work in their vineyards.





Giumarra has a history of intimidating and bullying workers. Back in 2005, Giumarra's unlawful interference forced a union election to be thrown out by an administrative judge. This company's history with worker protection is also dismal with at least two farm workers dying from heat-related causes while laboring in their fields.





As a consumer, the "Nature's Partner" label doesn't mean good produce to me; it means produce brought to my table by a company, Giumarra, that consistently violates its workers' rights and endangers their lives.





Walmart can and should demand better from its suppliers. I ask you to exercise control over your suppliers by telling Giumarra/Nature's Partner to act responsibly towards its workers.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR

INSIDE WALMART:

The following series of documentaries has been brought to Molly's attention via the site of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more on Wal-Mart see Wake Up Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart Watch and Wal-Mart Workers Canada. Here's the video show....

ILILILILILILIL
ABOUT THE SHOW:
More
Five years ago CNBC's David Faber took an unprecedented look inside the world's largest retailer. Since then, much has changed. A brutal onslaught of lawsuits, intense criticism and a plummeting stock price have resulted in re-invention at the largest company in the world. Today there’s new leadership at the top, major store renovations and a new found focus on environmentally friendly policies.

So far, it looks like Walmart’s new image campaign is working. While many companies are cutting back or going bankrupt in the midst of recession, Walmart continues to grow -- outperforming its major competitors.

But are the changes Walmart has undergone substantial ones… or merely slick public relations ploys? And what challenges does the giant retailer face as it continues its aggressive expansion?

CNBC's Emmy Award winning anchor and reporter David Faber investigates The New Age of Walmart.
INSIDE WALMART

*** The World's Largest Retailer

Walmart is the nation’s largest employer with 1.4 million workers in the U.S. and up to 30-thousand new hires annually. But the company’s low-cost operating model may be threatened by proposed legislation that would make it easier for unions to organize. A store in Miami may possibly become the first unionized Walmart in the U.S.
One on One with CEO Mike Duke

*** Walmart’s Extreme Makeover

Walmart discovered it had a big problem: it was losing up to 8% of its customers as a result of negative publicity. The giant retailer undertook an extreme makeover of its public image and its stores.
Walmart’s full scale overhaul

*** Expansion Controversy

Walmart has more than 4,200 U.S. stores and continues to expand. Often, residents are bitterly divided over what a new Walmart will mean to their community. As powerful as Walmart is, community protests can still delay plans to open a new store for years or kill a project entirely.
A Town Divided – Ellenville, NY

*** Going Global in China

China’s robust economy, growing wealth and a marketplace of 1.2 billion people present a huge opportunity for companies looking to expand, and Walmart is taking notice. There are more than 250 Walmart stores in China, and that figure could one day surpass the number of stores in the U.S.
Take a tour with the new head of Walmart International, Doug McMillon
WEB EXTRAS:

***Scouting Expedition

Have you ever wondered how Walmart decides where to build a new store? CNBC joined one of the company teams that secretly traverse the country -- and the world -- looking for new places to plant the Walmart flag.
The search for the next Walmart

****Walmart’s CEO Mike Duke

59-year old Mike Duke is the fourth CEO in Walmart’s 47-year history and made his debut at the company’s 2009 annual meeting. Duke believes Walmart is the “largest family in the world." CEO Mike Duke takes David Faber inside Walmart

ILILILILILILIL

Meanwhile, here's another item from the CBC about the final court decision about Wal-mart`s decision to close their store in Jonquière Québec because their employees decided to unionize. All that I can say is that the `compensation`should be as high as possible. In criminal law- which this should be - it`s called the 'deterrence effect' on sentencing.

ILILILILILILIL
Wal-Mart loses Quebec Labour Board ruling:
CBC News
Former employees at a Wal-Mart store in Jonquière, Que., could be compensated for having lost their jobs after a decision to unionize.

The Quebec Labour Relations Board ruled Tuesday it was illegal for Wal-Mart to lay off 190 workers in April 2005, shortly after they sought union accreditation.

In his ruling, arbitrator Jean-Guy Ménard said the company had not justified its decision to dismiss its employees.

Ménard said Article 59 of Quebec's labour code protects the rights and working conditions of employees following their request for union accreditation.

United Food and Commercial Workers union local 503 president André Dumas welcomed the ruling.

"It shows [Wal-Mart] is ready to take whatever it needs to get the union out of one of its stores," Dumas said.

Though most of the former Wal-Mart employees have found new jobs, Dumas said it took some of them months to do so — one person still has not found work.
Wal-Mart disputes ruling
The company has already confirmed it will appeal the arbitrator's ruling.

"If Wal-Mart had just wanted to close the store … that store would have closed from the moment that it became certified by the union — but that's not what happened," said Andrew Pelletier, Wal-Mart Canada's vice-president of corporate affairs.

The employees received union accreditation in Aug. 2004, but Pelletier said the store only closed eight months later. (That`s actually fast for a managerial bureaucracy the size of Wal-mart-Molly )

Wal-Mart initiated multiple bargaining sessions after the accreditation, Pelletier said.
However, he said there was "no way" the already struggling store could meet the union's demands. ( Yeah, I'm sure- Molly )

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

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THE LETTER:

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

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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

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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:

NEW VIDEO ON ORGANIZING AT WALMART:

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) has a new video produced by the Walmart Workers for Change campaign on organizing at the world's biggest sweatshop. So far unionization has only been successful up here in Canada in Québec and Saskatchewan. Hopefully this will change soon. Here's the story.

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THOUSANDS OF WALMART WORKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY UNITE TO CALL FOR A VOICE IN THE WORKPLACE:

New Video Highlights Intimidation, Anti-Worker Tactics Associates Face from America’s Largest Private Employer
Washington, DC – Walmart Workers for Change, a new campaign of thousands of Walmart’s 1.3 million associates across the country who are standing up and demanding a voice in the workplace, today released a new video that highlights the sorts of anti-worker tactics they are facing from the world’s largest retailer.

“The associates are afraid,” said Cynthia Murray, a Walmart associate in Laurel, Maryland. “They’re intimidated, and they are afraid. My family and other families have paid the price for freedom. And when you tell me I can’t talk about a union, you’re taking my freedom from me.”

Workers in more than 100 stores in 15 states across the country have joined together and signed union representation cards, citing a lack of respect from the company, as well as poverty-level wages and sub-par benefits as reasons they need a union voice on the job.

Despite Walmart’s long and well-documented history of anti-worker activities, associates say they are emboldened by the election of Barack Obama and the introduction of the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress.

The campaign comes at a time when workers find their wages have stagnated, even as Walmart and the Walton family continue to make record profits. Walmart’s recently released 2009 10K shows the company made $13.4 billion in profits last year.

“Walmart’s slogan is ‘Save Money, Live Better,’” said Vikki Gill, a former Walmart manager in St. Louis, Missouri. “Walmart is saving money and living better at the associates’ expense.”
In the new video, which can be viewed at http://www.walmartworkersforchange.org/index.php/pages/articles/walmarts_war_on_workers, 10 workers from coast to coast detail the company’s response to their organizing efforts. Dominique Sloane and Mark Moore, of Dallas, Texas, were told that their store would be closed if workers voted to organize. In Miami, Florida, Cheryl Guzman was interrogated by a manager about who among her colleagues supported a union. Linda Haluska, of Glendale, Illinois, was called into four mandatory meetings in one week, where she and her colleagues were shown anti-union, anti-Employee Free Choice videos.

“Since we’ve started talking union, the company has been holding meetings, they’ve flown people in,” said Sloan. “They’ve even mentioned as far as with the union, there’s a possibility that stores may close.”

Walmart Workers for Change is a new campaign made up of thousands of Walmart workers joining together to form a union and negotiate better benefits, higher wages, and more opportunity for a better future.

The campaign is a project of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), America’s neighborhood union. The UFCW represents 1.3 million workers nationwide, with nearly one million working in the supermarket industry. Many of UFCW members also work at national retail stores such as Bloomingdales, Macys, H&M, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Saks Fifth Avenue, RiteAid, CVS, and Syms.
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The 1.3 million member UFCW is the nation's largest private-sector union with most members working in the retail food, meatpacking, food processing, and manufacturing industries. UFCW members represent a cross-section of America's working families. The UFCW is America's neighborhood union with more than 800,000 members working in neighborhood supermarkets across the U.S. and Canada.