Oops! Did Wal-Mart Shareholders Vote in Favor of a Union?

by Tula Connell, Jun 7, 2006

Wal-Mart is notoriously anti-union. Its managers force new hires to watch union-bashing videos, fire employees who seek to join unions and generally treat workers in ways the world’s largest retailer could never get away with if its employees had a voice on the job with a union.

So we note with amusement that when Wal-Mart convened its annual shareholders meeting June 2, the group was entertained by—union members.

Seems a new hire at Wal-Mart, Julie Roehm, a former senior marketing executive at DaimlerChrysler, tried to liven up the gathering by commissioning a musical, “It’s About the Customer,” according to a recent New York Times article. Wal-Mart then hired an all-star cast of Broadway actors, singers and musicians, including Beyoncé—nearly all of whom belong to Actors’ Equity and/or the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, both long-established unions.

By Roehm’s own account, the show was a hit with Wal-Mart executives, who approached her after the musical portion of the show with positive reviews.

Does that count as a majority recognition vote in favor of a union?

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