Wal-Mart fired Jonquiere workers illegally, board rules

Compensation ordered for employees who filed
formal complaints after store closure last spring

Jonquiere, Quebec (22 Dec. 2005) - Wal-Mart has been found guilty by the Quebec labour board of closing its Jonquiere store last spring to avoid dealing with unionized workers – not because it was losing money as it claimed at the time.

After hearing four of 79 illegal dismissal complaints filed by workers at the store, the board concluded that the Arkansas-based retail giant had acted in violation of Quebec law and that it fired the workers unfairly.

The employees were dismissed because they were engaging in legal union activities, the board ruled.

One fact entered in evidence was that the company has yet to rescind a 20-year lease on its premises in Jonquiere. No attempt has been made to sublet the space, indicating that the company is keeping its options for the future open.

The board has ruled that Wal-Mart must compensate workers for its actions. Appropriate remedies will be decided later.

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Canada) said the ruling backs up what the union has claimed from the outset and what polls show that citizens across Quebec generally believe.

Momentum picking up

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has signed a formal protocol with UFCW Canada, supporting its efforts to organize Wal-Mart workers across Canada.

"Wal-Mart clearly closed this store because the workers succeeded in unionizing," says Yvon Bellemare, president of the UFCW Canada's Quebec council.

"The Labour Relations Board's decision once again exposes the multinational's anti-union attitude. The momentum is picking up. Wal-Mart employees now realize that if they want a union in their store, Wal-Mart may attempt to but can't stop them."

Quebec Federation of Labour President Henri Massé also hailed the decision and called on Wal-Mart to abide by the ruling and to dispense with its the now-familiar "legal guerrilla tactics" it has been using to prolong its anti-union war in the province.

The Jonquiere outlet was the first full Wal-Mart store in North America to be unionized. Approximately 190 employees lost their jobs when the store was closed. At the time the company was on the brink of having a first contract imposed by the board after its refusal to negotiate in good faith with the union. A total of 79 workers subsequently filed formal complaints. NUPGE

Web posted by NUPGE: 22 December 2005

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