Did Wal-Mart make anti-union payments?

[DulceDecorum]

April 8, 2005: 8:48 AM EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s former vice chairman may have used undocumented expense payments to pay for anti-union activities, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/08/news/fortune500/walmart... /

WASHINGTON, April 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -— Today’s Wall Street Journal revealed that former Wal-Mart Board Member and Vice Chairman Thomas M. Coughlin, the number two person at the company, alleges that he operated an illegal anti-union slush fund as part of a company program to suppress the democratic freedom of workers to make a choice for a union voice at work.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) calls on the company to publicize all documents connected with the U.S. attorney’s criminal probe of the Coughlin case.

Wal-Mart has already been found guilty of illegally spying, bribing with promotions, firing and intimidating workers. According to the Wall Street Journal, these revelations, if true, mean that Wal-Mart’s anti-worker, anti-union program “would represent a criminal offense under the federal Taft-Hartly Act,” -— a federal felony to pay employees to persuade coworkers to abandon support for union representation.

The Journal also reported that Coughlin "is expected to use the ‘union project’ as part of his defense to the charges about mismanagement of funds."
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=45564

[SmileyBoy]

1. And millions still shop there.

It's sickening.

[youspeakmylanguage]

2. Millions elected Dubya...

Most people are easily swayed by rhetoric and selfishness. Who cares about the America's long-term economic viability as long as I save 15 cents on a bottle of Suave shampoo?

[mrdmk]

3. Probably because

These people

1) Do not have enough money to shop some place else.

2) To lazy to find some place else to shop.

3) There is no other place to shop.

4) Do not any idea of the political implications that Wall Mart presents.


These are reasons, not an excuse!

[saigon68]

9. They are Sheep

Passively following the orders of the Bush Criminals and their brain washers.

[DiverDave]

4. Union?

Whats a union?
/sarcasm

[indepat]

5. Bet Walmart is shaking in their boots, literally terrified about how US

justice is going to come down on them like a ton of feathers.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. kick

[UpInArms]

7. Squal-Mart is absolutlely one of the most Anti-American

corporations ever created.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/newsfinder/pulseone.asp?dateid=38450.2793961921-833973439&siteID=mktw&scid=0&doctype=806&property=symb&value=&categories=&

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas is inquiring into a possible pattern of expense-account abuses and use of false invoices to obtain reimbursements at Wal-Mart, (WMT) The Wall Street Journal Online reported. Documents that the Journal reviewed suggest that Thomas M. Coughlin, who retired as a Wal-Mart executive in January and resigned from the board March 25, periodically had subordinates create fake invoices to get the Bentonville, Ark., retailer to pay for his personal expenses, the paper reported. Coughlin also told several Wal-Mart employees that certain expense payments were being used for anti-union activities, including paying union staff to tell him of pro-union workers in stores, people familiar with the matter told the Journal. Wal-Mart shares fell 60 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $48.90 on Thursday.

I hope their stock drops to zero on the markets and all of the evil spawn of Sam Walton rot in some cold dank hole for the rest of their natural lives.

[Sgent]

8. I knew something didn't make sense

He was fired over 400k

Why does someone lose a salary of tens of millions over 400K?

[UpInArms]

10. related: Files trace Wal-Mart expense payments

http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg§ion=News&storyid=112959

BENTONVILLE — Last November, Thomas Coughlin, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ’s vice chairman, approached a lieutenant with an unusual request. He wanted Jared Bowen to approve around $2,000 in expense payments without any receipts.

<snip>

Coughlin, who retired as an executive in January, abruptly resigned on March 25 from his board seat after Wal-Mart found what it said was a pattern of expense-account abuses and the use of false invoices

...more at link...