Posted on 02/11/2005 1:58:23 PM PST by quidnunc
The chief executive of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. yesterday defended the retailer's decision to close a Canadian store after its employees voted to form a union, saying demands from negotiators would have forced an already unprofitable store to hire 30 more people and abide by inefficient work rules.
"You can't take a store that is a struggling store anyway and add a bunch of people and a bunch of work rules that cause you to even be in worse shape," H. Lee Scott Jr. said.
In his first interview since Wal-Mart announced it would close the store in Jonquiere, Quebec, Scott said Wal-Mart saw no upside to the higher labor costs and refused to cede ground to the union for the sake of being "altruistic."
"It doesn't work that way," he said.
Wal-Mart's decision has infuriated the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which was negotiating a contract for the Quebec store's 190 employees. If it had succeeded, the store would have become the only Wal-Mart store in North America with a union contract.
"Wal-Mart is trying to send a message to the rest of their employees that if they join a union the same thing could happen to them," said Michael J. Fraser, the union's national director in Canada. Fraser said the union plans to file unfair labor practice charges against the chain with the Quebec Labor Relations Commission.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
They took their ball and went home.
Union membership in USA went to new all time low. Its is like 12.3% compared to like 12.5% a year ago. Wal Mart is not in business to employ people to lost money. IT is in business to make money.
Apparantly Canadians can't figgure that out. Probably why the NHL is about to go under as well!
Who is John Galt?
I never shop at Wal Mart. Patriots should organize a boycott of the store, which epitomizes corporate America at its worst.
if you can't make a profit you leave.
You've got to be kidding. I try to buy everything at Wal-Mart. I only buy other places what I can't get at Wal-Mart or Sams.
I don't suppose you'd care to explain yourself.
Nah, Walmart is okay in my book. Employee 300k people and you get some clout in my book.
Unions have destroyed every industry they've 'organized' and driven them overseas. Unions had their use when they first started, but they've long gone from champions of the worker to socialist/communist/criminal entities.
In fact, the propaganda war against Walmart is nothing more than a union campaign to get dues from a million new members, dues that can be dumped into the pockets of fat union bosses and their dem political hacks. The ultra-left wing, especially in the baby-killer-blue states, wants workers enslaved by unions and works to help unions at Walmart. It is a big target in terms of potential for dues money and high paying jobs with no work for union stewards.
Good. Let Wally-World close up everywhere, I refuse to buy their sweat-shop junk anyway.
I loathe unions. Good for Wal Mart.
These days almost all stores sell goods made in China. Even little mom and pop gift shops.
Walmart gets a bad rap because they donate to the Republican party, so they are they ones you always hear the mainstream press complaining about.
I wonder why?
This is the best news I've heard all week! It warms my heart to see businesses exercise their right to remain productive.
You're correct when you point out that the leadership of organized labor leaves a lot to be desired. But someone has to keep corporate America honest.
And have accountability.
Union leaders keep politicians honest??? Wow! I'm speechless. What planet do you come from, stranger? I think we now know who the most naive person is on this thread...
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