Posted on 11/18/2013 3:40:56 PM PST by mdittmar
Making Change at Walmart, a coalition of Walmart associates, small business owners, religious leaders and other members of the community that are fighting to make change at the nation's largest employer, announced today the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will prosecute Walmart for its "widespread violations of its workers rights." The decision will provide additional protection for Walmarts 1.3 million employees when they are speaking out for better jobs and working conditions.
The coalition was advised Monday that the NLRB s General Counsel is prepared to prosecute a complaint against Walmart for illegal firings and disciplinary actions involving more than 117 workers, including those who went on strike last June.
The decision addresses allegations of threats by managers and the companys national spokesperson discouraging workers from striking and illegal disciplinary actions against workers who were on legally protected strikes. Workers could win back pay, reinstatement and the reversal of disciplinary actions as a result of the decision; and Walmart could be required to inform and educate all employees of their legally protected rights.
The Boards decision confirms what Walmart workers have long known: the company is illegally trying to silence employees who speak out for better jobs, said Sarita Gupta, executive director of Jobs With Justice and American Rights at Work. Americans believe that we have the responsibility and the right to speak out against corporate abuses of workers, and this proves were finally being heard, and making kinks in Walmarts armor. Customers, clergy and community members from across the country are standing with Walmart workers bravely calling for better jobs and a stronger economy for all of us.
UFCW International President Joseph Hansen agreed with Gupta:
Today, the government confirmed it will prosecute Walmart for illegally firing and disciplining workers who just exercised their rights. Quite frankly, enough is enough. Walmart workers are sick and tired of empty statements and unenforced policies and it is time for Walmart to obey the law.
The decision was a response to charges filed last year against Walmart managers who threatened and discouraged workers from going on legally-protected strikes as well as illegal firings and disciplinary actions stemming from a protest at the company's June shareholder meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Tiffany Beroid, a Walmart worker from Laurel, Md., explained why the workers are standing up:
Working at the largest employer in the country should mean making a decent living. Those days are long gone. Walmart continues to show that its afraid to have real conversations about creating better jobs, but would rather scare us into silence. But change at Walmart is too important to our economy and for our families for us to stop speaking out.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said he was proud that AFL-CIO is committed to supporting the brave Walmart workers who are standing up for their rights:
Walmart and the Walton family will have a choice: they can choose to stand with the American people and strengthen our economy or continue a race-to-the-bottom business model that hurts workers and our economy. They can choose to honor their workers' rights; to ask Walmart to publicly commit to improving working conditions or continue their pattern unlawful retaliation against those who speak out.
Meanwhile in L.A., truck drivers went on strike against Walmart and other companies for similarly denying rights to their employees, including misclassifying workers and firing union activists, in the latest wave of actions against the retail giant.
Freepers cheering this move, form a line to the Left.
Is it January 2017 yet?
the leftists got to have gov’t run (union crony) walmart now.
Has the National Labor Relations Board ever prosecuted a labor union for murder, assault, intimidation, extortion, destruction of private property, or any other criminal offense?
Nationalizing America - as Walmart goes, so goes the country.
Punishment of success is the action of choice for this administration.
I’m not cheering this move at all—but I must say I was in Walmart yesterday, and dealt with an employee who most assuredly (IMO) should be fired.
This person was rude, did not know the answer to my question about where the item I wanted was located, and more or less brushed me off.
I have found an employee like this one to be the exception rather than the rule in our local Walmart, though.
Yeah, my local Wal-Mart is excellent . . . it appears to be run by Sikhs. That being said, I’ve seen the horror stories.
Do you now understand why we are sending our jobs overseas?
“Tiffany Beroid, a Walmart worker from Laurel, Md., explained why the workers are standing up:”
___________________________________________________
Maybe if Tiffany had an education and half a brain, she could do something better the working at Walmart.
The NLRB has become a criminal enterprise and operating arm of Obama’s operatives and the progressive Democrat party. It specializes in shakedowns, threats and intimidation.
Someone presently will be by to explain to you that your taxes aren't high enough.
Unions turn private employees into government employees.
Obamacare is crashing, and badly, and this will be horrific.
threatened and discouraged workers from going on legally-protected strikes
Senator XXXXX,
Please vote against cloture on the nomination of radical union lawyer Richard Griffin to be the next General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board.
Over the summer a handful of Republican Senators joined every Democrat to let Barack Obama pack the labor board with union militants literally and publicly chosen by AFL-CIO czar Richard Trumka. The ONLY thing those Republicans got out of the "deal" was that Obama would not re-nominate Richard Griffin and Sharon Block to be members of the Board. So what did Obama do? He nominated Griffin for a different job at the Board -- the General Counsel -- the office in charge of prosecuting unfair labor practices by both unions and management.
Griffin is currently being investigated for attempting to cover up embezzlement at the International Union of Operating Engineers by firing employees who tried to expose the crime. It's outrageous that someone under investigation for such a crime would even be considered for a position with all of the power associated with the General Counsel position. If Griffin is willing to illegally silence employees to protect Big Labor's unlawful practices, as he's accused of doing, how much worse will he be as the officer in charge of prosecuting unfair labor practices?
The NLRB is supposed to be a quasi-judicial, independent agency, staffed with people who can interpret the law and deal with cases honestly and fairly. Richard Griffin doesn't even come close to meeting that standard.
Freedom, justice and basic common sense all dictate that you oppose this nomination.
Just think, once that rude Walmart employee becomes Unionized, Walmart can’t fire him/her. They can be as rude as they want, then.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.