A Close-up Look at Wal-Mart’s Scary Anti-Union Tactics

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/05/17/a-close-up-look-at-wal-mart%e2%80%99s-scary-anti-union-tactics/

A Close-up Look at Wal-Mart’s Scary Anti-Union Tactics

by Mike Hall, May 17, 2007

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: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/EFCAsenate

Check out Pier’s full post here and click here for the Human Rights Watch report on Wal-Mart.

[acmavm]

1. Corporations are a pox on this country. Walmart, Halliburton, all have

an interest in making sure the American workers have no rights, and no recourse to their actions. And why not? They have millions of illegals willing to work cheap and put up with anything.

[LiberalFighter]

2. How about any tax abatements or other tax relief they receive

would be forfeited to the US government... Not the local or state government.

You think they would make sure any business would comply with employee rights?