millbank Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Wednesday it will close a Canadian store whose workers are on the verge of becoming the first ever to win a union contract from the world's biggest retailer. Wal-Mart said it was shuttering the store in Jonquiere, Quebec, in response to unreasonable demands from union negotiators, which would make it impossible for the store to sustain its business. The United Food & Commercial Workers Canada last week asked Quebec labor officials to appoint a mediator, saying that negotiations had reached an impasse. "We were hoping it wouldn't come to this," said Andrew Pelletier, a spokesman for Wal-Mart Canada. "Despite nine days of meetings over three months, we've been unable to reach an agreement with the union that in our view will allow the store to operate efficiently and profitably." Pelletier said the store will close in May. The retailer had first discussed closing the Jonquiere store last October, saying that the store was losing money. A spokesman for the UFCW said Wednesday the union had not yet seen the retailer's statement, and that leaders were traveling and not immediately available for comment. Some employees at the store said they think the store was closing because of their agreement to join the union and several cried as they left the store. They told Radio-Canada TV that an announcement had been made and they were not allowed to ask questions. The closest a U.S. union has ever come to winning a battle with Wal-Mart was in 2000, at a store in Jacksonville, Texas. In that store, 11 workers -- all members of the store's meatpacking department -- voted to join and be represented by the UFCW. That effort failed when WalMart eliminated the job of meatcutter companywide, and moved away from in-store meatcutting to stocking only prewrapped meat. Walmart and Unions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Already been posted here, 2 days ago. Wal-Mart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 walmart sucks , go UNIONS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millbank Posted February 11, 2005 Author Share Posted February 11, 2005 Already been posted here, 2 days ago. Wal-Mart 235290[/snapback] I did not see that my error , but seeing so many comment on hockey management union busting, sure would be curious how folks on this side of board re act to this story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 waiting for this to get moved over to PPP next to other one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 I did not see that my error , but seeing so many comment on hockey management union busting, sure would be curios how folks on this side of board re act to this story 235299[/snapback] Good point, never thought of that angle? There is probably a difference between the two boards. Probably a little more evened out here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 waiting for this to get moved over to PPP next to other one 235318[/snapback] I think that was the whole point of Millbank's post, after discovering the error. To see what people here thought? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 walmart sucks , go UNIONS 235292[/snapback] Unions suck. Go Walmart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Unions suck. Go Walmart! 235354[/snapback] Ditto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundy249 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 walmart sucks , go UNIONS 235292[/snapback] Blow Unions! Because of Unions I had to move all over the country when I was a kid. The greed of Unions and its workers cost many Americans jobs and destroy entire cities. HMmm example BUFFALO..Bethlehem Steel the Unions destroyed the company. NHL..Union again! The reason cars are so expensive..UNIONS $28 an hour to put a bolt on a car..AWESOME. Thank God I work for a large Bank and Unions are not an issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 if it wasn't for unions we would all be working 80 hours a week and making 20 cents an hr. have no vacations , no health ins ,have no holidays off and not have lots of other benifits that so many people take for granted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PastaJoe Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 if it wasn't for unions we would all be working 80 hours a week and making 20 cents an hr. have no vacations , no health ins ,have no holidays off and not have lots of other benifits that so many people take for granted Wait a few years and we'll be back to those days. Just another reason why I've boycotted Walmart for the past 2 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Blow Unions! Because of Unions I had to move all over the country when I was a kid. The greed of Unions and its workers cost many Americans jobs and destroy entire cities. HMmm example BUFFALO..Bethlehem Steel the Unions destroyed the company. NHL..Union again! The reason cars are so expensive..UNIONS $28 an hour to put a bolt on a car..AWESOME. Thank God I work for a large Bank and Unions are not an issue 235363[/snapback] how about the company taking all the money out for big pay for all the top brass and putting no money back into the company to update the plant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Blow Unions! Because of Unions I had to move all over the country when I was a kid. The greed of Unions and its workers cost many Americans jobs and destroy entire cities. HMmm example BUFFALO..Bethlehem Steel the Unions destroyed the company. NHL..Union again! The reason cars are so expensive..UNIONS $28 an hour to put a bolt on a car..AWESOME. Thank God I work for a large Bank and Unions are not an issue 235363[/snapback] bank teller $ 8.00 PER HR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac17 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 if it wasn't for unions we would all be working 80 hours a week and making 20 cents an hr. have no vacations , no health ins ,have no holidays off and not have lots of other benifits that so many people take for granted I'm not in a union and I have vacation, make more than $.20 an hour, have holidays off and have health insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 bank teller $ 8.00 PER HR 235377[/snapback] PRICELESS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 if it wasn't for unions we would all be working 80 hours a week and making 20 cents an hr. have no vacations , no health ins ,have no holidays off and not have lots of other benifits that so many people take for granted 235368[/snapback] Very true, assuming we were all living in the 19th century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 There was a show on PBS recently about Evil Wal-Mart. One thing that sticks out in my mind is Evil Wal-Mart will sign big contracts with Good Ol' American companies to produce product for their stores. Then once the Good Ol' American company gets production ramped up, Evil Wal-Mart will tell them that they will buy the same number of units, but at a cheaper price. Then they will come right out and tell Good Ol' American company that they should move production to China, where Evil Wal-Mart justs happens to have an office also, that deals with Former Good Ol' American companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 I'm not in a union and I have vacation, make more than $.20 an hour, have holidays off and have health insurance. 235402[/snapback] you still need to thank your grand father and father for fighting for you to bring those ben. to you or some one elses grand father . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin in Va Beach Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 if it wasn't for unions we would all be working 80 hours a week and making 20 cents an hr. have no vacations , no health ins ,have no holidays off and not have lots of other benifits that so many people take for granted 235368[/snapback] We can also thank unions for stupid !@#$ing rules that do nothing but amount to extortion. Doing a trade show in a "Union City"? Well don't plan on moving those 5 pound boxes by yourself (which you could easily do). Instead you need to get a union guy to come over and move them for you. Want to plug a light into an electrical socket (something done by "amateurs" everyday in their own homes)? Need to get a union electrician to come over and do it for you. God forbid you actually undertake these activities on your own, lest a union rep find out and shut your exhibit down until penalties can be accessed. Let's not forget about union kickbacks automatically increasing any major construction job by millions. Did private enterprise create the 'no show' job? Unions had a place, way back when, to give an employee a voice when they were woefully underpaid and made to work in unsafe working conditions. Those days are for the most part behind us. Unions are antiquated and are only going after Walmart and others to replace dwindling membership roles. Thanks unions, for vacations and other bennies, now reform yourselves or prepare to be fazed out of existence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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