However, in Jonquiere, Quebec in Canada the workers tried to call Walmart's bluff and organized themselves into a union.
So what did Walmart's executives decide to do? They're shutting down the store.
It's a shame that so many people are losing their jobs, but they placed it on themselves. The biggest losers are the consumers of the town, who now have no one to keep prices low in order to get good deals on retail items. Walmart's attitude towards unionization has morphed from a sound business practice to a corporate conviction.The retailing behemoth, whose $10 billion annual profits are based on low prices, low expenses and its relentless pace of store openings, announced it will shut the doors here May 6 after workers voted to make this the first unionized Wal-Mart in North America.
The closure will leave 190 bitter employees out of work, the town uneasy over the future of unions, and the mayor angry at the company. Supporters of organized labor also say it serves as a warning for workers at other Wal-Mart stores who might contemplate defying founder Sam Walton's sharp distaste for unions.
"It's like we are digging our own grave," said store employee Nathalie Dubois, 38, a single mother with no other job to go to, as she helped pack up the store.
If you try to confront them on this issue, you'll lose. After all; they have thousands of stores across North America. Any losses from this store will be considered a drop in the bucket for this behemoth. According to the company, they were losing money anyway, so the unions only gave them even more motive.
One group of workers already took the hint. Workers in Broussard, a surburb south of Montreal, voted against unionizing after hearing about Jonquiere's fate. Company execs dispute that, but the writing is on the wall.
Here's the stunt they tried to pull to "vote" the union in:
So it wasn't even a "vote". All they had to do was pass out union cards and "encourage" people to sign them, which sound's like a stunt akin to Saddam's "elections" held in Iraq.Those who did not want a union say organizers harassed them to join. "People signed the cards just to get some peace" from the union organizers, said Noella Langlois, 53, who works in the clothing department. "They thought they would vote against it in a secret vote."
In fact, there was a vote last April that rejected the union. But under Quebec labor laws, the organizers could try again. When they collected signed union cards from 51 percent of the employees, the law declared the Jonquiere Wal-Mart a union shop.
Pelletier, the Wal-Mart spokesman, says the Quebec laws are unfair, and only a secret ballot would show the true feelings of the workers.
"Signing a union card, when there's someone on your doorstep at night saying, 'Sign this card,' should not be the last word," he said. "A democratic, secret vote is the only way to avoid intimidation by either the union or an employer."
I've been calling for the busting of unions for the longest, but this is the first time I've seen a company take such an active stance like this against unionization. Unfortunately, this situation is simply unique for Walmart, since it's the largest retailer in the world and worth billions. Other companies can't afford to close shop when being forced into unionization.
I'm sure the Canadians don't like this at all, especially with their far-left leanings. However, I hope Walmart continues to stand up to these union goons who think they can muscle their way into a store and unionize it.