Human Rights Watch Releases Report On Wal-Mart Labor Abuses

From the above article:

Jonquiere workers who lost their jobs when the store closed filed seventy-nine complaints against Wal-Mart with the Quebec Labor Relations Commission, arguing that the store closure was illegal because it was done “to interfere with the employees’ right of association.”621 The commission began by hearing four of the seventy-nine complaints.622 On September 15, 2005, it upheld three of the four, finding that Wal-Mart failed to show a “just and sufficient” cause for the dismissal of the workers.623 Explaining the ruling, Pelletier told Human Rights Watch, “The Labor Commission ruled that the closure of the store was retaliation against unionization.”624 Wal-Mart appealed, but on July 13, 2006, the Quebec Superior Court upheld the Labor Relations Commission decision.625 Wal-Mart appealed again.  Pelletier explained, “We are appealing . . . because we did not close the store in retaliation.”626

This will forever be Walmarts legacy.
It will forever be known as a company that is second class.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
We will never forget what you did Walmart.
We will never let you forget.

So what you are saying is that ANY company that becomes unionized no longer has the right to close its door when they are not making a profit (or at least living up to its potential)?  As a company owner myself, if I choose to close the doors to my business, that is my choice, not a union’s choice.  A union has NO RIGHT to tell me how to run my business.

Jonquiere will always be remembered as the first and the bravest. Which store will step up next and call Bentonville’s bluff?  Another Canadian store? Florida, maybe?

It will be interesting to see just how many unprofitable stores Wal-Mart has.

Ken V
It is happening as we speak in other locations in Canada.
Anyone who claims on this or any other board that Walmart is ‘union free’ is incorrect.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse.
We will never forget what you did Walmart.
Never.

I worked my way up through the company. Back when Sam was around, we really didn’t need unions, and he was fervent about the open door policy and committed to the associates being a part of the company.  When he was gone, so was the commitment. Wal-Mart’s reason to dissuade associates from unionizing has NOTHING to do with caring about the associates, it’s about business, and them, pure and simple. The attorneys have researched all laws and the anti union message given to the associates utilizes working around everything they can. If a store manager has a high UPI, they cannot be promoted. Thus, it is a negative tool, there are managers that have actually told their associates they will never get promoted, and because the associates like the manager, they chill out.  But it still poses a threat, they get the message.  Everyone at Wal-Mart gets the message, if you run a store that trys to unionize, you will either be terminated or demoted.  Of course they won’t state that for the reason, but irregardless, you will be gone.  Unwritten corporate policy always has been and still is NO UNIONS.  Everyone knows it, it’s common knowledge. The associates know it too.  There is real fear of losing their jobs.  When Wal-Mart says they want it to be fair and neutral and the associates are allowed the freedom to decide, they are flat out lieing!!!  Associates that begin to stir up thoughts of unionization are quieted in one way or another, whatever it takes.  If the company took care of the associates like Mr. Sam did, this wouldn’t even be an issue, but they don’t care about those people, or Sam’s beliefs, it is all about them.  And now the people really deserve the right to unionize if they choose, and while there be many that aren’t interested, there are also many that are, but too scared to try.  They didn’t become fearful for no reason, quite the contrary, the company has established the fear level, and whenever they get a drift of potential union activity, they send out the union busters in full force, to put the fear of Wal-Mart in them, thus far, successfully.  They are never going to admit any of the above, but believe me, it is true.

This article is full of falsehoods. My focus is on employee monitoring. Your employer has the right to train cameras on you, listen to you, watch you in person, stare at you, read your emails, listen to your phone calls, read your work mail, watch you in the public area of the restroom (but not listen) and generally track every movement you make. They can also search your purse, coat, briefcase or car if these are on company property. Depending on the state, they can force drug tests at a moments’ notice. They can require, as a condition of receiving health insurance, that you not smoke, drink or eat fast foods on your own time. They can read your credit report, your public records, your criminal history and your internet postings.

In short, you are not immune from observation or eavesdropping while on company time.

Wally World is the new big brother

The encouraging part, however, is there seems to be more and more people watching Big Brother in Bentonville. Now it’s Human Rights Watch.

And then there’s the people watching the people watching.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH? Someone with half a brain please explain to me how Wal-Mart’s US employees suffer so badly that they need to be studied by Human Rights Watch?

Repeat after me: Employee fills out application. Employee goes for interview. Employee accepts job. Employee starts work. Employees remains employed at Wal-Mart.

Vendor seeks out Wal-Mart. Vendor makes deal with Wal-Mart. Vendor remains a seller to Wal-Mart.

Customer goes to Wal-Mart. Customer purchases goods. Customer continues to shop at Wal-Mart.

What do all these things have in common?

They are VOLUNTARY!!!! Nobody is forced to work at, sell to or shop at Wal-Mart. Show me ONE person who is forced, against their will to do so. JUST ONE!!!

You cowards.........

It will be interesting to see just how many unprofitable stores Wal-Mart has.

Ken V in Texas

Has many as they want to close,they just keep sending them inventory,to were the inventory is so high and sales so low they cannot justify keeping the Store open this was proven in Canada

“Has many as they want to close,they just keep sending them inventory,to were the inventory is so high and sales so low they cannot justify keeping the Store open this was proven in Canada”

guest in
Tuesday, May 01 at 04:54 PM

People aren’t that stupid guest.
Also with every reprisal against the workers, Walmart sinks more and more. It has one of the worst reputations as an employer and as a corporate citizen.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse
We will never forget what you did Walmart.

Now you Nick repeat after me:
Walmart is setting up shop in a democracy that has worker rights. In that democracy, those workers have the right to a united voice. They have a right to be reprented by a union.
If Walmart doesn’t like it than the SHOULD NOT HAVE PLANTED THEIR SORRY ASS STORE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse

Alex,

“It has one of the worst reputations as an employer and as a corporate citizen.”

And, somehow, the customers keep shopping there!!

Now you Alex, repeat after me:
Walmart is setting up shop in a democracy that has employer rights. In that democracy, those employers have property rights. They have a right to operate without their employees being reprented by a union and close a store if it is unprofitable.  That is what Democracy means, EQUAL RIGHTS under the law, it’s a 2 way street!!

Looks like Bob is upset that workers may have rights.
Rights that big business doesn’t want them to have.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse
We will never forget what you did Walmart.
Never.

Alex,

“Looks like Bob is upset that workers may have rights.”

And, you said I misrepresented things that you say, now tell me, how do you get that I’m “upset that workers may have rights”, out of “EQUAL RIGHTS”?  Guess that you are soooo one sided in your thinking, that it is hard for you to think that there are 2 sides to issues!!!

And, somehow, the customers keep shopping there!!

You know, Bob, we’re having a little trouble pinning that down.  Granted, Wal-Mart has upped the foot-traffic count to 176 million “visits” a week (I even read 180 in one article) but as we discussed in another thread, this number really doesn’t mean anything.

All other indicators, same store sales, etc., support the idea that Wal-Mart shoppers are staying away in droves.

...they just keep sending them inventory,to were the inventory is so high and sales so low they cannot justify keeping the Store open...

This is a little off track but perhaps you could shed some light, guest.

I recently heard* same store sales figures can be manipulated by transferring inventory from one store to another. Anything to that?

*from the network of covert anti Wal-Mart operatives buried deep within the body of the Beast.

Ken

Wal-Mart’s foot traffic doesn’t mean anything? Well, apparently it does. Despite all the negative campaigning against them, Wal-Mart is, by far, the most popular retail chain in the US. Customers spent more at Wal-Mart in 2006 than they spent at Costco, Target, Sears Holdings (including K-Mart), Kroger, Safeway, SuperValu stores & JC Penney. Wal-Mart’s profits were higher than the combined profits of these stores.

If Wal-Mart is a failure than so are Target, Costco, Kroger & the others mentioned.

Numbers have been verified and they don’t look good for the anti-Wal-Mart crowd. Perhaps that is why you ignore them. The fact is, Wal-Mart has never been so popular. Popularity for a retail store is not measured by “surveys” or “studies”. It is measured by SALES.

Why don’t you focus on Target or K-Mart, which were founded the same year as Wal-Mart except that both Target and K-Mart were offshoots of huge companies and Wal-Mart was not. K-Mart had 850 stores at a time when Wal-Mart had 18. What happened? Well, apparently, consumers started to like Wal-Mart, so much that they spent $345 BILLION there last year.

Why don’t you address these numbers?

Nick, spare me.  Oh yeah, the numbers are great. Even more, Walmart’s TAKE on gross sales is even more impressive.

Guaranteed, Kenny, if Living Wage laws were implemented, and labor laws were strengthened, the picture would change drastically. 

If American consumers knew the WHOLE STORY they would think twice before spending.  Talk about Walmart having its own Washington lobby that aggressively works to WEAKEN LABOR LAWS and LOOSEN trade restrictions on CHINA.  Walmart also pressures suppliers to move overseas in order to “lower costs” <buzz word for “American labor costs">.

Ken, please, address Walmart’s high TURNOVER that exceeds 50%--60%.  They actually encourage turnover to....keep wages down and......prevent seasoned, networked employees from UNIONIZING. 

Let’s talk about Walmart MOrals, which are bad for America, especially the American worker!  Greed is the only reason why low-end employees working at Walmart and other large corporations are not making a LIVING WAGE must accept taxpayer-funded welfare. 

In regards to K-mart and Target, THEY ARE NOT in Walmart’s league.  They play must play by Walmart’s rules or die.  Walmart, on the other hand, is one of a handful of companies that creates the rules of the game. 

Ken, I think you’re a Walmart exec.

Ken, I think you’re a Walmart exec.

I think you’ve misread my posts, George.  But what a terrible thing to say! A Wal-Mart exec!

George

Do you remember Dayton-Hudson and SS Kresage? These were the parent companies of Target and K-Mart, respectively. Wal-Mart came into being the same year as Target and Wal-Mart (1962) with no large corporate parent to finance them. Wal-Mart went to small towns (less than 5,000 people) where K-Mart refused to enter. Even up to the 1980’s, K-Mart was much larger than Wal-Mart. I can tell you with absolute certainty that none of the three has EVER paid a wage on which you could buy a home and support a family. I can also tell you that Wal-Mart pays better than K-Mart or Target and that many Target employees are not even eligible for any benefits. Why should Wal-Mart be punished for being good at what they do? Did Wal-Mart suddenly land on Earth yesterday, a giant corporate spaceship with 5,000 stores aboard? Or did they grow, store by store, because consumers liked what they offered?

The argument against Wal-Mart is the same as the argument against “conservative media”, Fox News, etc. Liberals want things their own way. They claim to be the party of choice but they do not want the American public to have the freedom to choose. Given this freedom, the American public has OVERWHELMINGLY supported Wal-Mart, conservative radio and Fox News. Liberals throw temper tantrums when they don’t get their way and they can’t understand why America doesn’t think like them. I am convinced that less than 10% of Americans are actually liberal. The problem is, they control public schools, universities, entertainment and most media. Thus, they have the loudest voice and they want to try and convince the American people that we should all be liberals. The American public isn’t buying it, given the support for Wal-Mart, Fox News, conservative radio, school choice, etc. and the failure of Air America, Democratic presidential candidates, liberal media, etc.

The American people have spoken. Wal-Mart is # 1. Fox News is # 1. Rush Limbaugh is #1. When ALLOWED to choose, the American people choose Conservative, free market capitalism and not the unique brand of Socialism practiced by the Social Democratic party here in the US.

By the way, George, we live in a global economy. Raising wages for our workers here will not help us. It will only make our products more expensive, hurting not only exports but making us vulnerable to foreigners setting up shop here. Toyota has already done this by destroying the Big Three.

1

George,

“if Living Wage laws were implemented”

How would these ‘Living Wage laws” work in the Real World, I have asked a number of people here, who use that term, but it seems that while they can say the words, they have no clue as how to implement the concept, maybe you can tell me?

Nick,

“Liberals want things their own way. They claim to be the party of choice but they do not want the American public to have the freedom to choose.”

This is exactly why the “Privatization of Social Security” didn’t take hold, the liberals didn’t want people to have the choice!!  In fact, they went so far as to say that the average person was so ‘stupid’, that they could not be trusted to handle their own retirement funds!!  And, I guess they were right, as most of the people ‘bought into’ the concept that having your own separate account, and earning possibly 10%, instead of 2%, was a ‘bad’ idea!!

“I am convinced that less than 10% of Americans are actually liberal.”

I agree, most of the people I know, who claim they are liberals, when talking to them, show that they, for the most part, believe in Conservative ideals, down deep inside!!

By the way, George, we live in a global economy. Raising wages for our workers here will not help us. It will only make our products more expensive, hurting not only exports but making us vulnerable to foreigners setting up shop here. Toyota has already done this by destroying the Big Three.

Nick in
Wednesday, May 02 at 11:54 AM

Yea right Nick. It may not help you or the retired people like Bob, stretch your pile of money, but it may help the families trying to provide for themselves and their children.
How is your leader Lee Scott helping you with a 22 million dollar compensation in one year? Or doesn’t it matter because he is only one of the few executives who get paid decadent wages? How does it make him a true leader when the workers and the company executives have a larger and larger gap in compensation?
As far as your comment about Toyota, I can say that in Canada Toyota workers are paid very well and as much as CAW union members for the big three.
Toyota has taken over the market because they build better cars than anywhere else. Your company executives screwed themselves years ago by making cars that fall apart on purpose so that the North American market would buy new vehicles every couple of years.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse

Alex,

“but it may help the families trying to provide for themselves and their children.”

How pray tell, will higher prices, reduced exports and even more jobs being outsourced, help families?  Guess you prefer lose/lose situations, don’t you?

You have a one track mind, you are so jealous of Lee Scotts salary, you can’t talk about anything else!!  Too bad, he is a winner and you know what you are, don’t you and it makes you crazy!!

Two track mind Bob. We will not let you forget about the average Walmart worker.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse
We will never forget what you did Walmart.
Never.

Oh Bob, you forgot that I wrote about Toyota also.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse.
We will never forget Walmart.
Never.

Alex,

“Two track mind Bob. We will not let you forget about the average Walmart worker.”

I was going to say that, but, that second one is just a myth, you really could care less about the average Wal-Mart worker, you just want a ‘new’ system put into law, that would allow YOU to make more money for doing less work!!  That’s what you call a ‘living wage’ and why you can’t explain what it is!!

BTW:  You never have said, that I can remember, if you are a UFCW member yourself!!  What is your union experience?

“Oh Bob, you forgot that I wrote about Toyota also.”

But, you haven’t been putting that in almost all of your recent posts, like the Lee Scott salary envy thing!!

Tell me more about what I am thinking oh magic one Bob.
Amuse us with more of your predictions.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse
We will never forget what you did Walmart.
Never.

Alex,

“Tell me more about what I am thinking oh magic one Bob.
Amuse us with more of your predictions.”

One doesn’t have to be a ‘magic one’ to predict what another is thinking, all they have to do is read that person’s posts!!

How’s this for a prediction:  The next thing that Wal-Mart does, you will slam it, no matter what it is!!

Ken
yes Wal-Mart ships inventory all the time when I worked in soft lines she was always shipping excess to the Store 5 miles away there sales were better,this is done when inventory is higher then the Sales we also took there excess inventory to help them .hence this is what they did in Canada I think it is when the summary judgement hearing

Does any one have that feeling of dejuva you are jealous you are stupid is always said here is that what they say as teenagers

Do any of you know how Wal-Mart gets it figure’s, when the cashier is finished they run there tape and on it shows the number of people they ran up the totals for all cahisers is rung up that day, they do not count the people that come into the Store,also they do not give the figuers for people that leave there cart and walk out the carts are taken back to the departments to be put back.

“Do any of you know how Wal-Mart gets it figure’s, when the cashier is finished they run there tape and on it shows the number of people they ran up the totals for all cahisers is rung up that day, they do not count the people that come into the Store,also they do not give the figuers for people that leave there cart and walk out the carts are taken back to the departments to be put back.”

guest in
Thursday, May 03 at 02:44 PM

Thankyou guest for your retail 101 lesson.
How do you think customer counts are done? By how many times the public toilets are flushed?
How basic.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse

Nick in wrote some place in the begining of this thread that
WM can search one’s purse (I suppose he also means a male individual if he carries one) etc.  I beg to differer, if anyone has had this happen to them so post on here and I might be able to help.

Never in all my years of studying law have I encountered such a privilege or right granted to an employeer.

As I have posted many times, WM needs an “in house only” union, not an outside one.  The issues are not addressed.

No point on posting on here as Nick and Bib constantly carry on a conversation between themselves and then Ken V will join in and non-sensical Alex has to have his say.

I stand behind every post I have made on WMW and defy anyone to find a falsehood.  Nick and Bob you do make some good posts at times (I seldom read them as they are all of the same theme) but you make many mistakes as to how great WM is and also how deserving Lee Scott is of that exhorbant compensation package (note I did not say wage).

I do want to add one thing about an older post that Bob made about “employees working overtime” for his company.
Were they paid overtime Bob?  Or did they have to come in later, take a longer lunch?  Did they come in after having worked overtime the day before, and they were not allowed to clock in until the half-hour or hour of overtime was adjusted and they could then only work 7 hrs or so?

Sage,

“but you make many mistakes as to how great WM is and also how deserving Lee Scott is of that exhorbant compensation package (note I did not say wage).”

I have never posted about how great Wal-Mart is (In fact, I have said that I could care less if Wal-Mart shut it’s doors tomorrow), all I have ever said was that Wal-Mart should be treated equal to other retailers!!  As for Lee Scott’s pay, I have never said that I thought he deserved that much money, but, I have said, that apparently, the people who pay his salary, think he deserves it and they must have a reason for believeing that!!

“I do want to add one thing about an older post that Bob made about “employees working overtime” for his company.
Were they paid overtime Bob?”

First, I must say this, before answering your question!!  Where I worked, our normal workweek was 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, to us, ‘overtime’ was anything over 10 hours a day and Saturdays!!  And, yes, they not only got paid at least 2 hours overtime every day, plus any hours over 40 per week.  That said, when times were slow, hours could be adjusted to keep them at or below 40 hours a week, so you might work 8 hours for 3 days, 12 hours the 4th day and 4 hours for the last day and still end up getting paid NO overtime pay.  And, they could be scheduled to come in earlier or later, at the companies disgression and those changes would be mandatory!!

Sage

I know you’re expecting this, but I’m going to have to go ahead and sort of agree with Bob, mmmkay? I do not think Lee Scott is a great CEO. I think he has done a good job, given his circumstances. I think ANY person should be paid what their employer thinks they are worth. If Wal-Mart tells Lee Scott he will only make $3 million next year and he doesn’t like it, he can quit. While I admire Wal-Mart, I do not worship them. Here is my agreement with Bob. I don’t support Wal-Mart blindly and I am not a loyal fan. I am a loyal customer-FOR NOW. If another store comes along that offers similar hours, better convenience, better prices, better service, better products and an overall better shopping experience, I will shop there. I have no loyalty to a retailer. That said, right now, Wal-Mart is my main shopping location. I also have a lot of respect for Wal-Mart as a business and I admire the innovations they’ve brought to the marketplace. I like that they are cheap and frugal with shareholders money and that any savings are passed on to customers. I like that they match prices and I like their selection. However, as I’ve said before, I am not tied to Wal-Mart. I am always looking for a better deal. I DO support Wal-Mart’s right to run the company for its shareholders. I DO believe in capitalism and free enterprise. I don’t think Wal-Mart should answer to anyone but the law and its shareholders.

Like Bob said, if Wal-Mart went out of business tomorrow BECAUSE OF MARKET FORCES, I would not be too upset. That would tell me that something better has come along and I can now get better products and services at even lower prices. But the market, not government, not unions, not environmentalists and not community activists, needs to sort this out.

Thank you guest for your retail 101 lesson.
How do you think customer counts are done? By how many times the public toilets are flushed?
How basic

Very nice Alex, if you read you will have seen that I am more anit WalMart then pro Wal-Mart I was until now more on your side but I see that you are not worth defending

“Wal-Mart Stores has more than 1.3 million workers at its nearly 4,000 stores in the United States, and none of those workers is unionized.”

Since when, did being non-union, become a Human Rights issue?  I guess that all of the people who are working without a union, must be being treated less than human, right?

This is yet another record first for Wal-Mart to brag about.

First U.S. company to be investigated by Human Rights Watch!

Hooray!

Bob

In 1979, the UAW had 1.5 million members. Today, they have less than 600,000. We could make the same case against Detroit and the Big Three. At least Wal-Mart is ADDING workers. What has the UAW done for its members, except to help nearly 1 million of them lose high paying jobs?

Is working in a non-union environment inferior to belonging to a union and then losing you job? Is it better to be jobless than non-union?

Just curious, folks.

Nick said:  I don’t think WM should answer to anyone but the law and the shareholdes.

Nick I would suggest that you read Sam Walton’s book
Made in American and I am positive you will not find anything to substantiate your statement.

Also when you say WM—are you saying as an entity, or
for those at the top?

“ At least Wal-Mart is ADDING workers. What has the UAW done for its members, except to help nearly 1 million of them lose high paying jobs?” [Nick]

Thank you Walmart for adding workers [though they are low paid, low benefit and often not a full workweek when it comes to their hours]. You are increasing the working poor.
Thankyou Walmart for helping to encourage manufacturing to the exploited third world workers.
Thanyou Walmart for going in the opposite direction when it comes to paying your top brass. Twenty two million in a year is a wonderful example of the rich getting richer.

There is one big thankyou to Walmart.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse

“ At least Wal-Mart is ADDING workers. What has the UAW done for its members, except to help nearly 1 million of them lose high paying jobs?” [Nick]

Thank you Walmart for adding workers [though they are low paid, low benefit and often not a full workweek when it comes to their hours]. You are increasing the working poor.
Thankyou Walmart for helping to encourage manufacturing to the exploited third world workers.
Thanyou Walmart for going in the opposite direction when it comes to paying your top brass. Twenty two million in a year is a wonderful example of the rich getting richer.

There is one big thankyou to Walmart.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse

Alex,

“Thank you Walmart for adding workers [though they are low paid, low benefit and often not a full workweek when it comes to their hours]. You are increasing the working poor.”

And, what would they be without those jobs, The non-working, even poorer!!!  A low paying job, is better than a NON PAYING unemployed position!!  Besides, you keep forgetting that that ‘low’ pay, is no ‘lower’, than Target and K-Mart pays!!

Bob, get over the fact that you feel threatened. You did not make much money in your life so you want others to live below your standards to make you feel elevated.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse

Alex,

“Bob, get over the fact that you feel threatened. You did not make much money in your life so you want others to live below your standards to make you feel elevated.”

What are you talking about?  You are the one complaining about what others make and are jealous of people who make more than you do (ie: Lee Scott), not me!!  I made enough money to support my family for 43 years and enough to be able to retire at the age of 60, what are you doing?

Bob,

There is no such thing as Target or Kmart in Canada.  Hence the reason for Alex’ one-track mind…

JB