Tagged as Wal-Mart Stores

Weekly Wal-Mart Round Up: July 20

Jul 20, 2009

Image by Lone Primate via Flickr

In Boston, a Superior Court judge here who refused to allow Wal-Mart to settle a class-action lawsuit involving off-the-clock work and shortened breaks has scheduled the case to go to trial Oct. 5, according to published reports.

In a long five year battle, UFCW Local 1400 (Canada) is appealing a decision by Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Peter Foley, who ruled last month that the certification of a Wal-Mart, in the town of Weyburn, was wrong.

Workers in foreign factories that supply Wal-Mart can’t blame the company for their alleged sweatshop conditions, despite the retail giant’s code of conduct that’s supposed to hold its contractors to decent labor standards, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

Wal-Mart Stores here will discuss the development of a new index that measures the “social and environmental impact” of its products at a press conference today, reports said yesterday.

OSHA cites Wal-Mart $7,000 for Black Friday Death.

A federal judge has given final approval to a $17.5 million settlement of a discrimination lawsuit that accused Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of not hiring black truck drivers.

The UFCW is appealing the decision in Canada which overturned the unionization of a Wal-Mart.

Updates

Wal-Mart, messes up sales tax in second state, makes another false claim in new Ad…

Jun 23, 2009

A national Ad group has told Wal-Mart Stores yesterday that it should stop running TV ads claiming customers can save $700 a year by shopping its stores. This is not the first time Wal-Mart has been told to stop making claims like these in advertisements.

Wal-Mart has also named a new diversity officer.

Wal-Mart is also having yet another ‘sales tax mishap‘, overcharging customers, this time in Missouri. If you remember this was previously an issue in Connecticut.

Lee Scott, the former chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores, called on attendees at the CIES World Food Business Summit here on Friday to join the Global Social Compliance Program to help ensure that suppliers are adhering to local wage and environmental regulations.

Why Wal-Mart needs the Employee Free Choice Act.

Updates

Wal-Mart Watch Launches an NYC Watch Program

Jun 05, 2009

Our friends at Wal-Mart Watch have launched a site specifically designed to keep Wal-Mart out of New York City! Take a look for yourselves!

New York is the largest city in the United States. It’s home to 8.3 million people – 27,147 persons per square mile – and zero Wal-Mart stores.

Much to the chagrin of Wal-Mart and its former CEO Lee Scott, Wal-Mart has had no luck in New York City. Masters of rural and suburban growth, Wal-Mart has never been able to circumvent the city’s strong labor presence, activist population, and restrictive zoning laws. In 2004, Wal-Mart tried to open its first store in Rego Park, Queens and the move was met with opposition from a coalition of politicians, union organizers and community members. [New York Magazine, 8/8/05] Similarly, residents denied Wal-Mart when it attempted to open a store in Staten Island in 2005. [New York Times, 8/22/05]

big ups to everyone at Wal-Mart Watch!

Updates

Wal-Mart close to unionizing in Miami, Florida

Apr 29, 2009

Image by anonymonk via Flickr

Breaking news from Miami,
Miami may have the first Wal-Mart to unionize in the United States.

Walmart Workers for Change, a new campaign claiming to represent thousands of the Bentonville, Ark.-based mega-retailer’s 1.3 million associates across the United States, the campaign has employees in over 100 stores in 15 states who have signed union representation cards, alleging a lack of respect from the company, in addition to low wages and inadequate benefits as reasons to become unionized.

Check their new video here.

Chicago’s Wal-Mart super-center is now back on the table.

Exon Mobil overtakes Wal-Mart Stores to top the Fortune 500.

UFCW steps up organizing efforts at Wal-Mart.

More Wal-Mart’s around the country are showing signs of organizing.

Updates

Wal-Mart Closes Tire Center after workers vote to Unionize…

Oct 17, 2008

Image via Wikipedia

Wal-Mart closes unionized Canada center [Associated Press]

Union-backed groups Wal-Mart Watch and WakeUpWalMart criticized the company for the closure. “The Gatineau workers have merely exercised their human rights under Canadian Law, something that is clearly unacceptable to Wal-Mart,” Wal-Mart Watch director David Nasser said.

Wal-Mart Closes Quebec Tire Center After Labor Accord [Bloomberg News]
Wal-Mart Watch, a U.S. worker advocacy group, said the shop closing shows the retailer is willing to do anything to prevent workers from receiving better wages and benefits. “The closure in Canada clearly shows that Wal-Mart has no desire to change,” it said in an e-mailed statement.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., known for its strong stance against workers unionizing, on Thursday closed a tire and lube center in Canada where workers had voted to organize.
A Wal-Mart spokesman said the five workers and one manager at the center were offered jobs at comparable Wal-Mart facilities or elsewhere in the store, which is located in Gatineau, Quebec and has more than 250 workers. The store itself will remain open.