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 Walmart’s 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 company’s 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 Board’s 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 we’re finally being heard, and making kinks in Walmart’s 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 it’s 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.
They are determined to ruin this country one way or another.
I suppose the AFL-CIO also has an explanation for wannabe Walmart employees submitting thousands of applications whenever WM announces they will open a new store.
Retail businesses rise and fall on their ability to supply the public with the product it wants. Since WM is the most successful enterprise to ever exist on the planet in it’s history, one can rightfully assume a HUGE % of the “horror” stories regarding WM stores are pure fiction supplied by Unions frantic to organize their employees and being beaten back (legally) at every turn.
I have lived in 7 different States and overseas in the past 15 years and have been in countless WM stores. I have found my shopping experience to be no better or worse than shopping at the rest of the large retailers.
What keeps me going back is the lower prices. Those who say they are happy to spend the 10-15% more to “shop local” are mostly full of it. My neighbor is one of those who rail about WM, swearing to never go there but who I have myself seen in the store.
Everything the unions, democrats, liberals and progressives do or try to do against Walmart makes me and my friends spend more dollars in their wonderful stores.
“...one can rightfully assume a HUGE % of the “horror” stories regarding WM stores are pure fiction supplied by Unions frantic to organize their employees and being beaten back (legally) at every turn.”
Really? So the WM pigsty’s that I’ve been to with at least 4-5 items on my shopping list out of stock, 20-30 minute check out lines, lousy quality products, surly staff, and prices that aren’t all that exceptional are a fiction? Wow, I must be getting more delusional than I thought.
“What keeps me going back is the lower prices..”
Fair enough. I’m not willing to step foot in their stores to save maybe 5% over what I could get it for elsewhere. I value my time and sanity more than that. And Aldi in my experience is cheaper. Unfortunately, there aren’t any in my area.
I never heard of Aldi so I suppose we don’t live near each other (I’m in NJ).
With the desity of population we “enjoy” there are many WM and Super Walmarts to choose from and most within 7-10 miles of one another. As to price, were the difference 5% I probably wouldn’t travel even the 5 miles unless it were a big ticket item where the 5% matters. However in this are the difference between say a KMART or Sears, Target, etc is many times 15% or in some cases more. It is also true WM is higher on some items. Serious shoppers need to check prices on each item and decide overall which store to travel to on shopping day.
In my area at least the stores are always stocked and clean and the help, in my experience has been fine. The possible long waits if they occur are due to shopper volume and time of day. As I shop very, very early in the day, usually about 6-6:30 AM there is never a line. On the occasion I have had to go on a weekend during the day the registers are all manned so the wait can be blamed on shopper volume as I said before.
If all or even some of the horror stories about WM were true they would be out of business in short order because given an alternative to poor business practices as you describe, the public will take their business to the easily available competition.
Your experience is obviously different from mine. In my urban part of VA, we have several wally worlds within a 15 mile radius. All but one is dirty, poorly run, has lines and all the problems I mentioned. The one that is well run is at the outside of that 15 mile radius. Which as a practical matter means a 30 min drive. I’m not that interested in having a wally world experience.
As for poorly run, customer antagonistic businesses not being able to succeed the airlines and WM are two examples that seem to be doing so. Part of wm’s success is its locations, often in relatively marginal areas with a high underclass population. If 75% of your customer base is on food stamps and doesn’t have a job to go to, long lines and marginally lower prices in a relatively convenient location is a winning formula.
As I said before, if the problems were even half as bad as we are led to believe by unions and lib media WM would have gone tits up years sgo.
I have been to a Walmart(s) in NJ,NY,MA,TX,NC,PA and LA. While every store is not a gleaming example of a state of the art retail operation I saw no filth, spoke with employees who were considerate and helpful, saw shelves well stocked and if checkout lines were long it was because the stores were crowded with shoppers and not because they were short on staff.
Walmart haters and critics almost to a person are left wing, union.
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