Supreme Court of Canada to hear Wal-Mart anti-union case

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NUPGE

Case accepted by top court on behalf of two employees who lost jobs when Wal-Mart store closed in Quebec

Ottawa - The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear two cases of union busting alleged by former employees from a Wal-Mart store in Jonquiere, Que.

The complaints say the Arkansas-based retail giant violated the Quebec Labour Code and the right to freedom of association when it closed the store in April 2005 rather than sign a union contract with employees.

Unionized employees were negotiating their first collective agreement at the time. Wal-Mart claimed the closure - which cost 190 workers their jobs - was decided because the store was unprofitable. Polls at the time showed that few people believed the company's line.

Subsequently, the Quebec Court of Appeal sided with Wal-Mart, rejecting the case of employee Johanne Desbiens. A similar case filed by another former Wal-Mart employee, Gaétan Plourde, was rejected by the province's courts.

Read more: http://www.nupge.ca/news_2008/n11au08b.htm

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http://www.nupge.ca/aboutus.html

About NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is a family of 11 component unions. Taken together we are one of the largest unions in Canada. Most of our 340,000 members work to deliver public services of every kind to the citizens of their home provinces. We also have a large and growing number of members who work for private businesses.

[MJJP21]

1. Unionized in China

Wal Mart in China just acquired union representation. Why not in Canada and why not in the US. Our young men and women are fighting overseas to end oppression but here in the US and Canada we are taking away workers rights and doing everything we can to discourage and prevent unionization.

[Towlie]

2. Meanwhile, back in the USA...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121755649066303381.html

Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win

By ANN ZIMMERMAN and KRIS MAHER

August 1, 2008; Page A1

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they'll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies -- including Wal-Mart.

In recent weeks, thousands of Wal-Mart store managers and department heads have been summoned to mandatory meetings at which the retailer stresses the downside for workers if stores were to be unionized.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121755649066303381.html">more

[happygoluckytoyou]

3. DEMs WIN IN 2008..... FAIR WAGES BY 2010....