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Vote results (Wednesday March 9) ... click here to find out more.

Topic:         FAIR PAY (2 of 2) New
From:          C
Date:          Monday, March 07, 2005 10:59 AM

…How can workers get fair wages? We have to talk about what is fair and support real jobs, not agency jobs and support unions.

How do governments decide on what the minimum wage should be? Who do you think they listen to? I think they listen to much to companies who say they cannot afford to pay more. Places like Mcdonalds and Walmart have more say than people do. People who give the business reports on the radio and the banks…

Topic:          unions and Walmart (3 of 8)
From:          T
Date:          Monday, March 07, 2005 12:11 PM

Hey C,
I really liked reading your comments. They are very interesting.
I was interested in your comment about governments listening to companies more than they listen to people. You mentioned McDonald’s and Walmart.
You also said that one way for workers to get fair wages is to support unions. What do we do about companies like Walmart that close down when people try to join a union?

Topic:          unions and Walmart (6 of 8)
From:          C
Date:          Monday, March 07, 2005 03:13 PM

Hello T

I heard about that store in Quebec. I do not know what we can do about that store. How can we prove that they closed the store down because of the union? I do not know about the law. Is it illegal to close a company because of a union. Walmart did not close the whole company just one store. Why does each store have to make its own union?

I never shop at Walmart because I heard that they try to stop unions at their stores. I also like little stores where you can meet the owners because I think they are nicer to the people who work there. I tell everyone I know don not shop there because they treat people badly, that is why they can have such cheap prices. Really big stores also make it hard for small companies to sell to them because they want them only to sell to them or to make their prices really cheap. I know because my husband used to work at a paint company and they could not afford to pay their workers well and sell to places like Walmart and so they did not sell to Walmart. When Kmart closed their offices and warehouse in Brampton, a lot of people I know lost their jobs. Some people have not got a good job since. I think people only think they are saving money when prices are cheap. Sometimes the stuff you get does not last and sometimes the people who made it did not get a good wage and that is bad for everyone.

I am sorry to write so much but I think not just the government has to change but people must care about each other and their neighbours and think about when they buy something who made it and the people who work to sell it.

from C

I agree. It seems to be hard to prove that they close stores because of the union, and even when they do prove it there doesn’t seem to be much of a consequence.

I like your suggestion that we think about where we shop and what we buy. One way to influence businesses is to hit them in the bank account.

I do not know about the laws. Does anybody else? I will see what I can find out.

I am going to Ask Andrew at www.walmartworkerscanada.com. Does anyone else want to ask Andrew a question? (See the email here.)

There is a Canadian story we can watch right now. A vote to certify a union at a Wal-Mart in Windsor could happen as early as Tuesday, March 8, 2005. They have applied to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB). We can follow this story at: www.walmartworkerscanada.com/

Some other sites about Walmart and rights in the workplace:

A site about what women can do about Walmart

If you have Quicktime, you can watch a documentary of women talking about working at Walmart:

- Wal of Shame - Top 10 Wal-Mart Worst Actions

Stories about groups who successfully fought Walmart

News Story about Walmart

And a site by Walmart – what Walmart has to say about all of this
Here is an example:
Wal-Mart’s position on unions.
"It’s all about taking care of our people. If we do that and do what is right for our communities, we will be fine. We will continue to foster an environment of open communications and encourage our associates to express their ideas, comments and concerns. We are not against unions. They may be right for some companies but there is simply no need for a third party to come between our associates and their managers. "

Check for results at www.walmartworkerscanada.com/

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

This group tried to unionize in 1997.

They lost the vote.

The union took the case to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB).

The union won the case.

The OLRB found that the company (Wal-Mart) had intimidated workers during an organizing drive at the store.

The OLRB certified the union at the Wal-Mart store on Tecumseh Road East in Windsor, Ontario.

Then..." the Tory government of Mike Harris changed the Ontario Labour Relations Act and stripped the OLRB of its power to automatically certify a union in the wake of employer intimidation. An anti-union petition campaign eventually led to the Windsor store being decertified."

So that is why the employees have to vote again.

The union is worried that the workers may feel intimidated again. They think that workers may be worried about what happened in Quebec where Wal-MArt has just closed the store that became unionized.

For the full story, click here http://www.walmartworkerscanada.com/news.php?articleID=00103

- Back -

Hi there,

The workers at the Windsor Wal-Mart voted NOT to unionize.

Why do you think that they voted this way?

How would you have voted?

Why?

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

Here is a story about the vote. You can find this story and more stories about the vote at www.labourstart.org/wal-mart/

Wal-Mart Workers Decline to Form Third Canada Union

TORONTO (Reuters) - Workers at a Wal-Mart store in Windsor, Ontario rejected a certification vote late on Tuesday that would have made them the third Canadian outlet to be represented by a union.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Canadian unit said in a release that a majority of the Wal-Mart employees "declined to form a union for now."

The UFCW said it has asked the Ontario Labor Relations Board to consider a second certification vote at the store.

Two Canadian stores -- both in the French-speaking province of Quebec in Saint-Hyacinthe and Jonquiere -- are the only Wal-Mart outlets in North America to be unionized.

Last month, the Canadian arm of the U.S. retailing giant said it would close the Jonquiere store on May 6, laying off 190 workers.

- Back -

Topic:  no union at Walmart - Windsor (12 of 16)
From: C
Date: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 11:13 AM

I think they voted no because of what happened in Quebec when they closed the store after the union came in.

I think Walmart has made the workers afraid of losing their jobs.

I would vote yes for a union because a union means the bosses have to listen always not just if they want to be nice.

Topic: voting today (5 of 5) New
From: D
Date: Monday, March 14, 2005 01:23 AM

I have read the story of the Wal- Mart store in Windsor not to vote for the union. I feel alot of the workers voted against it because of the money that was involved and what some of then received was a pay off and that certainly wasn,t right. We as Canadian's have a right to vote the way we feel is right and for those who object don't need to vote. I would of voted for a union because that's a choice i can make and not be bought off. There is good and bad about all unions no matter what company you may work for.When I worked for F----- Manufactoring in T---- in 1985 we were told if a union come in they would close the company and move it to Mexico, well guess what it no longer exists here in Canada.With all the discrimination and low wages being forced in company,s today i think a union is a good thing cause we as workers have a right for fairness no matter who we are, race, colour or religion we should have the right to vote.

I'm voting for Wal-Mart to start working better with the union and their workers.

Hi Andrew,

We are having an online discussion about Rights in the Workplace.

The topic of unions and Walmart came up and one of the students had these questions -

How can we prove that they closed the store down because of the union? I do not know about the law. Is it illegal to close a company because of a union. Walmart did not close the whole company just one store. Why does each store have to make its own union?

(You can see the discussion at http://www.literacyenquirer.ca/WorkRights/uandw.htm )

Thanks, Tracey

----------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your response to our Wal-Mart Workers web site.

Wal-Mart had never raised any questions about the profitability of the store in Jonquiere. They have meetings with their employees everyday and never was a concern raised. Days after the Quebec Labour Commission certifies the store all of a sudden they claim the store is having financial difficulties. 20 minutes after Wal-Mart is informed by the Labour Commission that first contract negotiations are being sent to an arbitrator thus guaranteeing the workers will get a collective agreement they announce they are going to close the store.

The closure has nothing to do with profits and is simply a continuance of Wal-Marts efforts to keep the union out by threatening all of their employees across the country.

Is it illegal, the closing itself maybe not, but the threat to all workers is.

The labour laws require that we have to organize on a store by store basis.

Yours truly,

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