Daily Kos: The battle at Walmart begins.

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/17/721185/-The-battle-at-Walmart-begins.

by JR Monsterfodder
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Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 02:02:07 AM PDT

Cross-posted at The Writing at the Wal.

From the Wall Street Journal:

The United Food and Commercial Workers union is ramping up organizing at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. after a five-year lull, dovetailing with its efforts to win support in Congress for a bill to make union organizing easier.

The Bentonville, Ark., retailer, a leading opponent of the legislation, said managers have seen increased union activity at a number of stores, prompting mandatory meetings to discuss unionization. "We have noticed that the UFCW has been working harder lately in its attempts to get Wal-Mart associates to sign union cards, but we don't think our associates have any reason to be more interested than before," said Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar.

* JR Monsterfodder's diary :: ::
*

"We have noticed..."; that sounds ominous (and it is), but here's why they've noticed:

Since February, about 60 UFCW organizers have been dispatched to more than 100 Wal-Mart stores in 15 states to get workers to sign union-authorization cards. The cards are attached to flyers that feature a photograph of President Barack Obama and a quote from a 2007 speech he gave to UFCW activists in Chicago. "I don't mind standing up for workers and letting Wal-Mart know they need to pay a decent wage and let folks organize," Mr. Obama said in 2007. A White House spokesman said Thursday that the president stands by the statement.

I love that paragraph because it reminds me so much of 1933. After the passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act John L. Lewis of the United Mine Workers began an organizing campaign with the slogan "The President wants you to join a union." Put on the spot, Franklin Roosevelt wavered in his support for organizing rights, suggesting in a press conference that workers could choose the Ahkoond of Swat or the National Geographic Society if they were so inclined. Obama, given the chance, didn't back off a bit.

But back to Walmart:

At a Duncanville, Texas, Wal-Mart, the union has signed up 58 employees, representing a little more than 10% of the store's 500 employees. Several workers said the company's strong performance during the recession encouraged them to sign union cards in an effort to get better wages and benefits.

Linda Haluska, an overnight stocker at a Wal-Mart in Glendale, Ill., said Wal-Mart is "a good place to work, but it would be better with a union." Since February, Ms. Haluska said her store has held five or six meetings attended by managers from the Wal-Mart corporate office to discuss unionization. Ms. Haluska and other workers said the meetings are aimed at dissuading workers from supporting the union. "They are not giving us the full picture, just enough to discourage you."

This is why passage of the Employee Free Choice Act is so vital. The playing field is not level. The purpose of such meetings is to intimidate workers into not joining the union. Opponents of EFCA claim that union members might intimidate workers into signing union cards if that legislation passes, but these meetings are more intimidating than anything organized labor could ever manage because MANAGEMENT HAS THE POWER TO FIRE YOU. Unions don't.

FULL story at link.

[KoKo]

1. People Rising Up...always a good thing...K&R

[imdjh]

2. I think that Walmart made themselves clear in Maryland and on the national level.

They supported the minwage increase, didn't they?

Walmart doesn't care how much they have to pay, or what benefits they have to provide as long as EVERYONE else has the same labor cost. This is why we need to get Walmart on board for NSP.

BTW, I despise Walmart, but my only other choices are Publix and Sweetbay. Publix charges way too much for the privilege of shopping away from Walmart's customers and check out lines. Sweetbay's prices are all over the place and their deli sucks.

[burning rain]

3. A victory for Wal-Mart workers would be huge....

Wal-Mart has such a massive and bad influence on wages, benefits, and conditions for working Americans on the whole, that organizing Wal-Mart workers would be a great boon for America, period.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. KnR