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A Close-up Look at Wal-Mart’s Scary Anti-Union Tactics |
We’ve all heard horror stories about the way Wal-Mart treats its workers, especially those who try to win some respect and a voice at work by forming a union. For a closer examination of some of the scary tactics Wal-Mart uses to clamp down on workers, take a look at Carol Pier’s piece on The Huffington Post.
The senior labor rights and trade researcher at Human Rights Watch, Pier also is the author of the group’s recently released report, Discounting Rights: Wal-Mart’s Violations of U.S. Workers’ Right to Freedom of Association. She writes:
Wal-Mart is the world’s largest company, an industry leader. So its treatment of its workers really matters. Not only does the company deny its U.S. workers their right to form and join unions, but in many cases it can do so without ever violating weak U.S. labor laws. Wal-Mart’s anti-union playbook—the “Manager’s Toolbox”—is sophisticated and disturbingly effective. Following this bible for thwarting unions, at the first sign of workers trying to organize, store managers call the Union Hotline at company headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. Wal-Mart usually responds quickly by sending out its Labor Relations Team to crush the union drive. Team members hold anti-union meetings with workers at which they recount a parade of horribles that go hand in hand with union formation, such as the possibility of lower wages, benefit loss and sky-high dues.
Pier writes that one major way to put an end to the tactics used by Wal-Mart and other companies who fight so hard to deny workers a a union voice—and to put some backbone in U.S. labor law—is passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.
The House version of the legislation (H.R. 800) was passed March 1 on a 241-185 vote. The Senate version (S. 1041) is awaiting action. (Click here to tell your senators to vote for the Employee Free Choice Act.)
Check out Pier’s full post here and click here for the Human Rights Watch report on Wal-Mart.
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Relating to Home Depot and Wal-Mart’s promotions for the energy-efficient light bulbs please note story and follow up published letter by Ray Tapajna from the Cleveland Plain Dealer - The dark side of energy-efficient light bulbs - the 8000 miles bulb from China.
See http://globalalerts.com/2007/05/04/plain-dealer-the-dark-side-of-energy-efficient-light-bulbs/ or
http://www.phillyfuture.org/node/5298 and
http://www.phillyfuture.org/node/5297
For more thought provoking articles about Globalization, Free Trade and Workers Dignity see
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ray_Tapajna
Exploring the Globalist Flat World at
http://tapsearch.com/flatworld
http://tapsearch.com/flipflatworld
Welcome Dysfunctional Globalists and Dislocated Workers who have no voice in the process of Globalization at
http://tapearch.com/tapartnews/
http://www.experiencedesignernetwork.com/archives/000636.html
I appreciate the intent, but truly unions created neither the Working Class nor the Middle Class.
To assert that unions created the middle class is to distort unions’ accomplishments in favor of ahistorical ideology, and in the process make oneself wrong where one could have been right. As to the working class . . . that class predates unions by about eons.
Sincerely,
John M. Giannone
“I appreciate the intent, but truly unions created neither the Working Class nor the Middle Class.
To assert that unions created the middle class is to distort unions’ accomplishments in favor of ahistorical ideology, and in the process make oneself wrong where one could have been right. As to the working class . . . that class predates unions by about eons.”
John G, I’m not sure what you’re arguing here. It seems like your poking at a potential radical critique of the ‘middle class’ rhetoric that the American labor movement has picked up (and possibly hinting at how it’s moving us to irrelevance!) but I can’t really tell where you’re going with it.
The concept of ‘class’ is a social construct anyway, so it means whatever we (collectively) say it means. I don’t think we can be so simple about what it means to be middle class…
Can you clarify?
The best way to tell WalMart that we do not support their bad business practices is to stop shopping there. If the AFL-CIO would join Buying Influence, Inc and the members be informed shoppers, they would not support bad businesses. We have a choice–USE IT.
Visit buyinginfluence.com and be an informed consumer. Spend with companies that support your values–WalMart is not that kind of company.
Maria Kunstadter
Again we attack Wal Mart and its anti-union activities while labor unions around the country rally to support one of their board of directors.
How does anyone who claims to have labors interests at heart support Ms. Clinton who actively participated in the attack on labor by Wal Mart????
Is it her intent to continue supporting the poor labor practices of Wal Mart here in the United States???? As recently as 2004 she openly praised Wal Mart and spoke of how much she enjoyed her tenure on their Board of Directors.
Does she intend to continue to support the exporting of American jobs through NAFTA????? Or through the importing of goods manufatured in third world coutries where workers are paid poverty level wages and forced to work extended hours???? Goods which are freely imported into this country through ports which are not only open to these goods but illegal immigration and imprtation of terrorist devices because she refuses to push to secure our ports because of the cost to Wal Mart????
Ms. Clinton is George Bush in a dress with a D behind her name and a concern for corporate interests which is only rivaled by Dick Cheney. And labor organizations support her????
This has nothing to do with walmart employees but what I consider descrimination against union workers.
My 18 yr old son went to walmart to get meds,he was told his insurance card wouldn’t cover it,so he waited 2-3 days for his payday and went back and paid $75.00 for meds ( for those who may be wondering why I didn’t buy meds, it’s because he didn’t tell me about this until after the fact)
His next trip to the union hall he asked why his card wouldn’t pay for meds and of course he was informed that walmart dosn’t accept union ins cards.
I was so mad I wanted to hurt someone!! Why didn’t walmart just tell him they don’t accept union ins cards?? Instead they led him to believe his card wouldn’t cover meds and robbed a 18 yr old boy of $75.00 and worse then that, he waited 2-3 days to start antibiotics for strep throat.