Colorado Wal-Mart Workers Want Union

Let's see how long these workers stay employed before Wal-Mart closes the Tire & Lube shop in this store.


Nov 30, 2004
Workers at Colorado Wal-Mart Take Initial Move to Unionize
The Associated Press


LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) - In a move that has been unsuccessful elsewhere
in the United States, 17 workers at a Wal-Mart Tire & Lube Express
have taken the first step to unionize at the world's largest retailer.

The National Labor Relations Board planned a hearing Thursday to
consider the workers' request to be represented by the United Food
and Commercial Workers Local 7.

"Wal-Mart workers don't have to be second-class citizens," said
Ernest Duran Jr., president of the union, which also represents more
than 17,000 grocery workers at King Soopers, Safeway and Albertsons
stores.

Union officials argue the workers in the automotive service
department are separate from the store and eligible for independent
union representation. Wal-Mart officials disagree.

"With approximately 400 associates in that particular facility, we
feel that more than 17 associates should have a say on such an
important matter," said Christi Gallagher, a spokeswoman for
Bentonville, Ark-based Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart said it treats its workers fairly and has an open door
policy that lets each negotiate directly with management.

"Our associates see they don't have to pay hard earned money to do
what they can do every day," she said.

The union is in negotiations with the Colorado grocery stores, which
have cited competition from nonunion discount chains such as Wal-Mart
in offering wage and benefit increases that have been rejected by
workers.

Efforts to unionize Wal-Mart stores in the United States have failed,
while in Canada, a government agency this year certified workers at a
Quebec store as a union and told the two sides to negotiate. Wal-Mart
has said it may have to close that store.

In the United States, the closest a U.S. union ever came to
representing Wal-Mart workers happened in 2000. Eleven members of the
store's meatpacking department at Jacksonville, Texas, store voted to
be represented by the UFCW.

In a move it said was unrelated to the union vote, Wal-Mart
eliminated the job of meatcutter company-wide, and announced it would
only sell pre-cut, pre-wrapped meat.

The workers were offered other jobs at the store.