Wal-Mart Canada appeals unionization of 2nd Quebec Store

[applegrove]

"Hyacinthe
Last Updated Mon, 14 Feb 2005 09:30:53 EST
CBC News
ST-HYACINTHE, QUE. - Wal-Mart Canada says it will appeal a provincial decision to unionize its store in St-Hyacinthe, Que., CBC News has learned.

Sunday's announcement follows the retailer's decision to shelve its unionized store in Jonquière, Que., this May. Wal-Mart said the store was losing money and the union refused to make the necessary concessions to keep it open.


Veronique Huberdeau
Six months ago the Jonquière store became the only Wal-Mart store in North America to be unionized.

The threat of an appeal doesn't worry Wal-Mart employee Veronique Huberdeau, who has worked at the St-Hyacinthe store for three years.


FROM JAN. 20, 2005: Second Quebec Wal-Mart gets union certification


FROM FEB 9, 2005: Wal-Mart to close unionized Quebec store

"Of course we're worried about what happened in Jonquière," she says. "But we need a contract. The employer needs to respect us, and the way they schedule our hours."

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union accuses Wal-Mart of not respecting Quebec's labour laws, but the retailer claims the union hasn't played by the rules.

"Any time you have a workplace that ends up being unionized, without the employees in that workplace voting for a union, in our view we have a questionable situation," said Andrew Pelletier, Wal-Mart Canada's public affairs director.

Wal-Mart pays fine

The retailer also faces legal troubles south of the border. It has agreed to pay a fine of $135,000 US for breaking child labour laws.

The U.S. labour department says Wal-Mart stores in Arkansas, Connecticut and New Hampshire forced unlicensed teenage workers to use dangerous equipment such as power saws and forklifts.

Wal-Mart denies the allegations, but decided to pay the fine just the same."

[whistle]

1. If Canada bans Wal-Mart from doing business in that country....

...will the sky fall on them? As for under-aged un-trained under-minimum wage workers using dangerous equipment Wal-Mart is using the defense in their appeal that if using disabled and amputee workers to do the same type of work is accepted practice, then using lower cost teenagers for the same type of work should be allowed as well. Get them where you can!:wtf:

[Village Idiot]

2. Quebec ROCKS!!!!

Get these disgusting corporatist SCUMBAGS OUT OF MY COUNTRY!!!