Community | October 30, 2008 | 37 comments

Wal-Mart has 'perfected the art of union-busting'

source: http://www.alternet.org/workplace/105262/wal-mart_has_perfected_the_art_of_union-busting/

Image
pokesmot
Want to understand why so many American workers find it so hard to organize unions in their workplaces? Look no further than Wal-Mart, a researcher for Human Rights Watch says.

Wal-Mart is a case study "of the abysmal workers' rights regime we have here in the United States," said Carol Pier, senior researcher on labor rights and trade for Human Rights Watch, an independent, nongovernmental organization that investigates human rights violations around the world.

In a speech last week at the University of Minnesota, Pier described her two-and-one-half-year study of Wal-Mart's labor-management record, which culminated in a 210-page report, issued in 2007, titled "Discounting Rights: Wal-Mart's Violation of U.S. Workers' Right to Freedom of Association."

The report found that while many American companies use weak U.S. laws to stop workers from organizing, the retail giant stands out for the sheer magnitude and aggressiveness of its anti-union apparatus. Many of its anti-union tactics are lawful in the United States, though they combine to undermine workers' rights. Others run afoul of soft U.S. laws.

"I like to think about it as a 'death by small cuts' strategy," Pier told the audience gathered at the University of Minnesota Law School. "And the effect is devastating."

In the course of her research, Pier interviewed dozens of current and former Wal-Mart "associates" (the term the company uses for its employees) and supervisors in six states and pored through thousands of pages of material from the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that enforces U.S. labor law.

Wal-Mart uses a subtle form of union-busting that starts with new employee orientation, where training includes watching an anti-union video, Pier said. The corporation has a 24-hour hotline for managers to report any signs of union organizing activity and a "labor relations team" is quickly dispatched to assess the situation.

Depending on the level of union activity, workers may be subjected to mandatory "captive audience" meetings where they are lectured on the evils of unionism. In some stores, Wal-Mart has crossed the line from subtle to heavy-handed by conducting surveillance on employees, disciplining and firing some.

When those actions are taken – clearly in violation of U.S. labor law – the failings of the system become clear, Pier said. Wal-Mart takes advantage of the exceedingly slow NLRB process to draw out cases for years. When a worker finally wins a case, the company faces no penalty – other than the requirement to reinstate the worker with back pay (minus anything he or she earned in other employment) and to post a notice saying "they won't do it again."

With nearly 1 million employees in the United States, Wal-Mart is the country's largest private employer. Yet none of these workers belongs to a union. Employees at two stores in Quebec, Canada, finally won union representation, but both stores have been closed – the second one earlier this month.

The International Labor Organization has cited the lack of penalties – and the fact that workers can be "permanently replaced" if they strike – as reasons that U.S. labor law fails to meet international human rights standards, Pier said.

more@link
  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   Politics,   WTF,   1 more
  2. tags:
    News,  News and Politics,  Politics,  WTF,  10 more
  3.     
    |

37 comments // Wal-Mart has 'perfected the art of union-busting'

  • GRIPEABOUTSTRIPES
  • crob80227
    • 0
      crob80227  

    • Another thing to think about:

      Have US workers become more productive over the years? Yes!

      Do we work longer hours? Yes!

      Have company profits (in general) gone up or down over the last few decades? UP!

      Have our wages gone up in accordance with company profits? Um, no!

      Have our benefits gone up in accordance with company profits? Big no!

      Has the pay and compensation of the CEO's risen at the exact same rate as those of the employees? Nope, it's tripled and quadrupled whereas the average workers payrate remained stagnant.

      So while the companies across America were earning more....the workers never saw any of that prosperity.

      Did they at least HONOR their pension plans for retiring employees?

      Nope. They stole that money to and then shrugged their shoulders, said "sorry" and then went to go sailing on their yachts.

      ---

      We need unions.

      Wal-marts refusal to allow unionization is undermining our entire economy.

    • 3 years ago
  • crob80227
    • 0
      crob80227  

    • When we had significantly more unions in America ....we all had higher wages and better benefits.

      The minute unions declined?

      Wages DROPPED like an anchor and all our benefits got cut to almost nothing. (Side note: I'm sure this unreleated but it seems while our wages dropped the pay of the CEO's increased about 100 fold. Huh. How bout that?)

      So, yeah, pretty sure unions are a good thing!

      We need more white collar unions.

      Otherwise we'll all be making $7/hr.

    • 3 years ago
  • peenkeefeenger
    • 0
      peenkeefeenger  

    • I don't know what will fix this problem. All I know is I have not shopped at Walmart in a year, nor will I ever again.

      I feel like a better person and you can too.

      Boycott Walmart with me!!!

    • 3 years ago
  • torybart
  • justright
  • Cuddlebones
  • kcfoxie
    • 0
      kcfoxie  

    • I don't think many can afford to avoid walmart right now. I know I can't :(

      However KMart has brought back layaway, so, that may help me get away from the Wallyworld.

      It is nice to get everything in one stop, that saves fuel.

      Perhaps we need another, Americanized, walmart?

    • 3 years ago
  • sleepnomore
  • bamboodizzard
    • 0
      bamboodizzard  

    • I am sick and tired of people taking their aggression out on Wal-mart. Seriously folks, why are you protesting Wal-mart when they are simply following the laws? If you are pissed and want better worker's rights, you need to organize your aggression and petition the government.

      Wal-mart is only doing what they can get away with under the law.

    • 3 years ago
  • margarita_coffee
  • blueman53
  • koolhandsteve
    • 0
      koolhandsteve  
    • blueman53:

      non of that is the unions fault its the fault of the auto industry for not realizing that they needed to change away from gas guzzlers to more fuel efficiant automobiles, and because the japanese make a better product.

    • 3 years ago
  • dissimulator
  • powerhungry
  • barbara3d
    • 0
      barbara3d  

    • I just heard on the news that a LOT of immigrants in CA have packed there bags and are heading home due to a lack of work. I had no idea that 50% of Mexico's income was directly related to immigrants sending money back home. 'most' of these people are just hard working people. I blame the lazy works of the Mexican government for not trying harder to make the home of these proud workers more of a culture of hope and JOBS.

    • 3 years ago
  • krenee
    • 0
      krenee  

    • I don't agree with shipping jobs oversees and Sam Walton would turn over in grave to see the way Wal Mart has changed. But neither do I agree with forcing unions. Why should someone who is unskilled and doing a menial job (cashier at walmart, grocery, etc) make big wages? Seriously, when the markets were on strike here in southern CA, a bunch of punky kids were marching around, etc, not all, but many of the protesters were extremely young and basically having required no tenacity to be productive.

      We have become a fat and lazy society, very unproductive, want things fast and on silver platters, and unwilling to learn and work . Thus, yes jobs are sent elsewhere, and it is a pity that the wages are pathetic elsewhere, but the people work. Why do you think illegals are hired for field work in CA? The central valley could feed the entire nation, but not without the illegals (and no I am NOT for illegal amnesty or immigration). Yet, the fact remains that without the migrant workers here, we would have a crisis of huge proportions. Why? Blood red Americans are too proud and too lazy to take field jobs.
      It seems, though, that corporations should be allowed to choose to NOT be unionized. Why should a school teacher be forced to join the NEA? What if that teacher does not agree, plus the forcing of paying dues? It is mandatory, though.
      Again, Wal Mart is in the wrong for slave labor, if this is fact, and I hate seeing the US lose jobs, but our people are lazy so often. Thus, we want everything given to us, thus, we are willing to give away our freedoms and become a socialist state with Obama at the helm---the EuroAmerican currency is awaiting us...

    • 3 years ago
  • hammywill
    • 0
      hammywill  
    • krenee:

      "Why should someone who is unskilled and doing a menial job (cashier at walmart, grocery, etc) make big wages?"

      Because their labor produces all the profits. 70% of this economy is fueled by consumer spending, So why should the people who work in the largest portion of the economy be given a wage in proportion to their contribution? Also, this whole idea of "unskilled" labor is a completely subjective term.

    • 2 years ago
  • barbara3d
    • 0
      barbara3d  

    • Anyone remember J.Hoffa? He was the head of the Teamsters for the automakers back in the day. Never found his body....and they searched for years.

    • 3 years ago
  • justright
    • 0
      justright  

    • Wal-mart sucks. they drain the employees, local private business, government (employees on food stamps and welfare) in your community.

    • 3 years ago
  • powerhungry
  • GRIPEABOUTSTRIPES
  • cybexg
    • 0
      cybexg  
    • GRIPEABOUTSTRIPES:

      Stop next time and try to understand a comment before responding.

      First, my father was (now retired) very well known and respected in his union. As part of his career, he held several elected positions.

      Second, no where did I say anything good or bad about unions. What I did say was that I didn't see anything innovated from Wallmart's activities.

      Your inability to critically analyze my comment speaks volumes about your capacity for reasoning.

    • 3 years ago
  • cybexg
    • 0
      cybexg  

    • I guess I don't understand the "perfected" part. As part of my MBA, several of my courses had large portions devoted to busting and preventing Unions. As part of the course work, we had workshops and intensive corporate counseling sessions (hands on). Wallmart hasn’t done anything innovative or new as far as I can determine.

    • 3 years ago
  • GRIPEABOUTSTRIPES
    • 0
      GRIPEABOUTSTRIPES  

    • ""UNIONS"" establish every-one of your wages.Think about it. If there were no unions you could not bargain for any type of raise. What will you base it on ? Prevailing wage is a fair market value of your job discription and what you should be paid. Granted most office workers are over-paid lazy people. Sound familliar ?Think about it, u nions establish everyone's wages.Without un ions the owners would reap all the profits for the work you have done for them. A union takes the fair profit that a worker makes for that owner and gives a percentage of the profit back to that worker. I beleive the owner disserves his fair share, but not 90% of the profits.

    • 3 years ago
  • GRIPEABOUTSTRIPES
    • 0
      GRIPEABOUTSTRIPES  

    • This is why I don't shop at Wal-mart. Everyone who shops at wal-mart supports child labor, non-union,and they love to give all the profits to foreign countries. Go ahead keep shopping at wal-mart ,and you people wander why this country is in the shape we are in. Damn republicans. Cheaper is not always better. What if your company came to you and said we can do your job for 1/3 of your cost to the company, we simply send it over-sea's and let child labor do it.The people without a union to back them simply lose your job.How long can you live on unemployment ?My answer 6 months at a very reduced rate. So go ahead you ""MORRONS"" keep shopping at wal-mart, your future will look very dim, you knuckleheads.

    • 3 years ago
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • GRIPEABOUTSTRIPES
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • justright
  • PoisonTheMonkey
    • 0
      PoisonTheMonkey  
    • DeliaTheArtist:

      I'm surprised to hear this coming from you Delia. Wal-Mart has a long history of violating worker's rights, racism, and outsourcing. They are a dirty corporation.

      Consumerism should never come before human rights.

    • 3 years ago
  • peenkeefeenger
  • DeliaTheArtist
    • 0
      DeliaTheArtist  
    • DeliaTheArtist:

      I'm joking to an extent.

      I know Wal-Mart has a long history of bad practices. What I'm trying to stress is that consumers demand places like Wal-Mart- stores that house everything you need in one place where you are pretty sure you couldn't pay any less for it.
      This is appealing to a lot of people who are on strict budgets, who need to provide for a lot of people, who don't have a lot of time to shop at different places.

      Examples: I work at a group home. I take care of 12 people on a day to day basis. When I need to shop for their basic needs, my agency gives me a fixed amount of money per person for things ranging from clothing to bedroom needs to toys. I usually end up going to a Wal-Mart or K-Mart or Save-Mart or some kind of MART in which I can accomplish that.

      I support local business and shop at a variety of places, but let's face it- the American Consumer has demanded (and continues to demand) the Wal-Marts of the world.

    • 3 years ago
  • hammywill
    • 0
      hammywill  
    • DeliaTheArtist:

      The American consumer is an idiot then, only caring about IMMEDIATE wants, and not thinking about long term ramifications. Wal-Mart makes 3.5 billion dollars of profit EVERY YEAR...and their employess get shit. If you think it is ok for those hard workers, who produce all that profit, then go ahead and keep shopping there.

    • 2 years ago
  • KD0BQM
    • 0
      KD0BQM  

    • Don't worry, AveryMoore, the fact that it is illegal for one company to hire union organizers to organize a competitor would have Wal-Mart zinging this through the NLRB and the legal system so fast you'd hardly feel anything but the jet wash. As far as a municipality or state requiring workers to organize or be organized they would get the same treatment.
      We really have to enforce the regulations and laws we already have, and re-enact the ones we have lost in order to ensure fair labor standards.
      Let's face it, the US is really no longer a producer. We are at best, a marketer and at least, a consumer. And if we ship many more jobs overseas, we will soon become a third world nation, unable to support our own existence. That's when the war begins. No, not between us and anyone...we won't be in any shape to wage a war. It will be between Russia, China and AlQuida over who will take over the US. Loser get us!

    • 3 years ago
  • AveryMoore
    • 0
      AveryMoore  
    • KD0BQM:

      Becoming third world?

      Canada has a population of 33 million snow-bound hockey maniacs. Resent the socialist imposition or not, they all have single-payer health care. You get sick you don't sell your house.

      We have 47 million with zero health care and a Swiss cheese health care racket where if you don't or can't read the fine print you can choose between the operation you need to survive or not eating for a few years.

      Since 2000 another 5 million more people went into poverty.

      Becoming third world? We are beginning to look at Cuba with near envy! They've just discovered oil!

    • 3 years ago
  • AveryMoore
    • 0
      AveryMoore  

    • So if more people try to form WalMart Unions then more WalMarts will shut down?

      So, if WalMart's competitors hired people to form WalMat unions, or municpalities all insisted that WalMarts be unionized then what could WalMart do?

    • 3 years ago
more from Community:
from the community

top videos