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Wal-Mart Contaminates Election Process
Massive Violations Of Federal Law Prevent Free and Fair Election At Sam's Club In Las Vegas
Previous Federal Labor Board Complaints Cite Corporate Officials For Worker Rights Violations at Wal-Mart And Sam's Club Operations In Las Vegas
Wal-Mart, using its usual array of illegal intimidation tactics against employees, has again contaminated the election process and prevented workers from having a free choice for union representation. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will block an election scheduled for workers at a Las Vegas area Sam's Club on November 29 and 30 as a result of federal charges filed against the retail giant for persistent and pervasive violations of workers' rights.
The new charges include allegations of an illegal firing, spying on workers and threatening terminations if the union won the election. The charges against Wal-Mart follow the usual pattern of threats, intimidation and coercion that has marked the company's campaign against workers.
In Las Vegas alone, the NLRB has previously issued complaints against the company for massive labor law violations in both Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores, including illegal termination and discipline of pro-union employees. A half-dozen top officials of the giant retailer must answer the board's complaints in trials scheduled early next year.
Nationwide, Wal-Mart is facing 13 NLRB complaints since Labor Day. One cites two vice presidents and a company spokeswoman for illegally getting rid of meat department workers in Jacksonville, Tex., who were the first-ever Wal-Mat workers to vote for a union and a voice on the job in February 2000. Other complaints include telling workers they'd lose money from their bonus in Mountain Home, Idaho and engaging in surveillance of workers' union activities in New Castle, Pa. The violations demonstrate Bentonville's systematic attempt to deny workers their federal right to a voice on the job through union representation.
Wal-Mart is fully aware that the NLRB demands "laboratory" conditions to conduct a union election, and employs a flying squadron of union busters to contaminate that laboratory whenever and wherever workers express support for union representation.
"All we want is a fair and free election," said Sam's Club worker Alan Peto. "But the company refuses to take their chances on fair and free. They prefer to subvert the basic principle of American democracy, everyone's right to make up their own minds without threats, promises, or intimidation.
Due to Wal-Mart's consistent refusal to abide by the law, especially in Las Vegas, the UFCW is seeking extraordinary remedies, including, granting the Union affirmative workplace access and requiring the company to distribute and read the board's final order.
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.
United Food and Commercial Workers Union: A Voice for Working America--www.ufcw.org
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