BREAKING: Wal-Mart faces warehouse horror allegations and federal Labor Board complaint

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.salon.com/2013/11/18/breaking_wal_mart_faces_warehouse_horror_allegations_and_federal_labor_board_complaint/

Monday, Nov 18, 2013 02:14 PM CST

Union-backed groups mount new strikes, announce a potential federal complaint, and promise a big Black Friday

Josh Eidelson



Protesters gather outside a Walmart Neighborhood Store for a peaceful demonstration Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, in Chicago. (Credit: AP/Charles Rex Arbogast)


The world’s largest private employer faces escalations on multiple fronts Monday, including strikes by its employees in Ohio and workers who haul its goods in California; media scrutiny on an employee-to-employee charity initiative; and labor groups’ announcements that California Department of Occupational Safety and Health complaints have been filed against two Wal-Mart-contracted warehouses, and the National Labor Relations Board is prepared to issue a complaint against Wal-Mart.

OUR Walmart, the non-union labor group closely tied to the United Food & Commercial Workers union, announced on an afternoon conference call that the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency charged with enforcing and interpreting private sector labor law, is ready to issue a complaint against the retail giant. According to OUR Walmart, the complaint – similar to an indictment – would address “threats by managers and the company’s national spokesperson for discouraging workers from striking and for taking illegal disciplinary actions against workers who were on legally protected strikes.” As I’ve reported, a top Wal-Mart spokesperson stated publicly prior to last year’s “Black Friday” strike that “depending on the circumstances, there could be consequences” if workers did not show up to work that day; in the weeks following a longer, smaller June strike, at least 20 participants were fired.

Wal-Mart did not immediately respond to Monday inquiries; a spokesperson told Salon last week that the company had “a strict anti-retaliation policy,” but that “we do enforce attendance policies when they’re broken.” The NLRB did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

“We should not have to seek relief from the labor board to keep our jobs,” Wal-Mart worker Tiffany Beroid told reporters Monday. “But Wal-Mart has aggressively tried to silence us.” She argued the complaint would “provide additional protections for Walmart’s 1.3 million employees.” When the NLRB issues a complaint, the defendant can settle – potentially including commitments to reinstate fired workers and post workplace notices pledging to follow the law – or proceed to a trial before an NLRB administrative law judge. That judge’s decision can be appealed to the NLRB’s five presidentially appointed members, whose decisions in turn can be appealed to federal court.

FULL story at link.

[Scuba]

1. Wonder what WalMart Board Member Hillary Clinton will say about this.

Probably nothing.

[Aaron8418]

2. My thoughts

You know i expected this kind of scrutiny from Wall-Mart. They are power hungry criminals in charge of a muilti-billion dollar company, they can't treat people with disrespect and spit on them and expect them to just take it. This so called " anti-retaliation policy " is the biggest load of crap i have ever heard in my life, they might as well enslave them and say they can never leave or stop working, good grief! Last thing, they do make 17 billion dollars a year and they most certainly can afford to pay their employees properly enough to say " Hey i have a job, it helps me pay all my bills and I'm doing great and moving up " The way it really is, is " Hey i have a job at Wall-Mart and it sucks, i am going no where and if i want to move up i have to take bull crap and criticism ". That's the hard stone cold truth folks.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

3. 1. It ain't just Wal-Mart, but...

…as the biggest one, wrestling them to the ground has to be the number one priority for labor.
2. This is why you want a Dem in the WH: those five presidentially appointed NLRB members. It makes me uncomfortable, however, thinking about Hillary being the one doing the appointing here, as I'm sure she has ties in Arkansas that might figure in those appointments.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Can't boycott Wal-Mart more than I already am ...

wish I could, though.