| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2000 |
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UNIFIED LABOR MOVEMENT RALLIES TO SUPPORT WAL-MART WORKERS Leaders of the 13.5 million-member AFL-CIO sent a clear message to Wal-Mart today: obey the federal labor law and respect the rights of workers - or, working families will turn away from Wal-Mart's doors. In a speech at a rally celebrating the first union victory at a Wal-Mart, hundreds of union members joined AFL-CIO President John Sweeney in congratulating the Wal-Mart workers in Jacksonville, Texas. President Sweeney said, "When Wal-Mart workers stand up, they don't stand alone. The entire labor movement is standing with them." Sweeney pledged that the AFL-CIO would monitor Wal-Mart's compliance with federal labor law and its treatment of workers. "The AFL-CIO will use our extensive network of publications and websites to keep working families informed of the behavior Wal-Mart takes toward its employees," The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) President Doug Dority announced that the union is demanding immediate bargaining on behalf of the meat department employees at the Jacksonville store. Dority said, "The Jacksonville workers have made their choice for a voice in the workplace. Wal-Mart cannot make unilateral changes to their working conditions. The company must negotiate with the workers over any proposed changes. That's the law." The demand for negotiations is significant, as Wal-Mart has threatened to change the duties and assignments of meat department employees across the country. Under federal labor law, employers are required to negotiate with the workers over any changes in the work conditions if the workers have selected union representation. -more- Meat department employees in Jacksonville, Texas were the first Wal-Mart workers in the U.S. to stand up for a voice in the workplace and win. The union election on February 17, 2000 sent Wal-Mart meat workers around the country a clear message - you too can have a voice at work, if you have a union. Workers in Palestine, Texas are fighting for a chance to make their voice heard in a union election. Wal-Mart is attempting to prevent the meat department employees from voting by threatening to move to "case-ready" meat products rather than selling meat that has been cut, wrapped and prepared in the store by skilled meat department employees at the Supercenter. The word is spreading. Organizing campaigns are underway in meat departments in twenty-three stores across the country. Wal-Mart meat department workers in Ocala, Florida today filed a petition for a union election. More election petitions are expected to be filed before the end of the week. Dority also announced the filing of federal labor board charges for suppressing the rights of workers to vote for a voice and participate in an election. The union is asking for a federal injunction to stop Wal-Mart from implementing a scheme to reassign and change the duties for meat department employees. The emotional high point of today's rally came when Monsignor George Higgins - the "workers' priest" for over five decades - addressed the crowd with his words of faith and hope to inspire the workers' efforts to organize. Johnny Rodriguez, President of UFCW Local 540 - the local union who represents the Jacksonville store, asked that union members and working families send Wal-Mart emails to letters@wal-mart.com demanding that Wal-Mart obey the law and bargain with the Jacksonville workers immediately. "We are mobilizing the entire community to stand up with the Jacksonville workers. Union members and working families aren't going to let Wal-Mart break the law and deny these hard-working men and women their rights," said Rodriguez. The UFCW is the largest organization of retail workers in North America, with 1.4 million members. Workers at retail food industry leaders such as Kroger and Safeway are members of the UFCW. -30- |
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