The bad press just keeps on coming for the world's largest retailer. In a 210-page report called "Discounting Rights: Wal-Mart's Violation of U.S. Workers' Right to Freedom of Association," international Human Rights organization Human Rights Watch accused Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) of "relentless exploitation of weak US labor laws" that "thwarts union formation and violates the rights of its US workers." The report said that some of Wal-Mart's union-busting practices are legal because of weak U.S. workers' rights laws while others are blatantly illegal. According to the company's press release:
- Human Rights Watch's investigation revealed that, in most cases, Wal-Mart begins to indoctrinate workers and managers to oppose unions from the moment they are hired. Managers receive explicit instructions on keeping out unions, many of which are found in the company's "Manager's Toolbox," a self-described guide to managers on "how to remain union free in the event union organizers choose your facility as their next target.
If workers try to organize, store managers must report it to Wal-Mart's Union Hotline at headquarters. The company responds by sending out its Labor Relations Team almost immediately to squash the organizing effort.
The report refers to a "climate of fear" created by the company's aggressive anti-union tactics. The concerns voiced in the report seem to echo previous complaints about Wal-Mart, most notably expressed in the movie Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.
While the government may intervene and tighten up laws (Such as passing the Employee Free Choice Act), Wal-Mart is probably unlikely to make any changes in its policy unless it makes economic sense for it to do so. In order for that to happen, one of two scenarios will have to emerge: 1) Millions of people stop shopping at Wal-Mart in protest of the company's labor practices. The full parking lots indicate that hasn't happened. 2) The company's hiring practices are no longer competitive and it can't find anyone to work on its terms.
Until then, it's hard to imagine why Wal-Mart would change.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-02-2007 @ 10:42AM
Paul Nicholson said...
Keep up the good work Wal-Mart, never liked unions and never will. As long as a union can strike, use any means to keep them out.
5-02-2007 @ 1:29PM
Denny said...
The union assault on Wal Mart will go on forever. The unions have been rejected so many times by the employees that it is making them nuts. Wal Mart should fund an effort to decertify the union in other places. Start 50 decert petitions. They will have some succcess because most people don't like unions. And the unions will no longer have the time or money to harass WAl Mart because they will be fighting for survival,a win-win. Unions can only exsist where there is alot of money and no accountability, like government jobs. Commerece has declared unions anacronistic and dead years ago. They just haven't heard yet.
5-03-2007 @ 9:14AM
ladyoflestat725 said...
Ok Walmart. I am protected by free speach here so here you go. You want unions to stay out of the company? Then someone answer why this company claims it values it's long term associates yet does not pay them enough to cover the costs to live independantly? To add insult to injury, the entire company has a payroll problem, long term associates are being paid less than many newer associates. If Walmart wants unions to stay out of it's practices then I say to Walmart, "Fix your treatment of your employees for the benefit of your employees. All of the fringe benefits are not worth anything if we cannot keep a roof over our own heads. Your associates aren't trying to buy a penthouse or drive Mercades Benz here."
5-03-2007 @ 9:23AM
gw said...
Why does WM have a union shop in China but will fights against forming by the Americans in the US?
5-03-2007 @ 9:31AM
gw said...
Why did WM allow China a union but WM fights and not allow one in the USA?
5-21-2007 @ 7:36AM
Dave Straitjacket said...
A few comments:
(1) If Wal-Mart associates are already so low paid, how welcome will ANOTHER payroll deduction be? The state and federal government already get their cut. Now they're going to willingly allow even MORE to get cut for a union? Not likely.
(2) As far as your second point about hiring practices, that appears to slowly be coming to fruition. It's getting incredibly difficult to get people to stay with the company. The company's position on it's people has become less "What works for you so you can work for us?" and more "This is the schedule. Work it or leave" Guess what? People leave. Hard working, productive, happy people...leave.
(3) Finally, I've asked this before. Is there some bottom-line benefit for a company going union that has never been union before? Some tax write-off or loophole that allows a company to show increased profit somehow? I only ask because it seems some of the policies enacted in the last few years almost seem designed to force associates to look elsewhere for help. For the most part they've just looked elsewhere for work.