specifically, how does wal-mart legallly prevent unions from forming?

[dolph]

i know wal-mart has always been accused of being anit-union, but is any large company really ever pro-union? what are wal-mart's most common anti-union actions, and if they're illegal, why have they been allowed to carry on for such a long time?

*note* try to keep this on topic, please. there's no way an insane post shouting "all unions must be crushed now!" or "proletariats of the world, unite!" will add anything of substance to this thread. thanks

 

[PHiuR]

NORMA RAE!!!

 

[Joker81]

People who try to unionize, ie the people that attend the rallys get really crappy jobs/hours and they get looked at very closely. Any infraction they get fired.

 

[amdskip]

Walmart meat cutters attempted to form a union and walmart stopped it by pulling all the meat cutting equipment out of all stores. Honestly the intelligence level of most walmart employees is not high enough to form a union.

 

[Chadder007]

My cousin worked at Walmart at one time.....the employees there told him to not ever mention "Union" or he would be fired.

 

[RU482]

Originally posted by: amdskip
Walmart meat cutters attempted to form a union and walmart stopped it by pulling all the meat cutting equipment out of all stores. Honestly the intelligence level of most walmart employees is not high enough to form a union.

you overestimate the average union member's intelligence

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: amdskip
Walmart meat cutters attempted to form a union and walmart stopped it by pulling all the meat cutting equipment out of all stores. Honestly the intelligence level of most walmart employees is not high enough to form a union.

It only takes one person (or a few) to form a union... as long as he/she has the charisma for it that is.

 

[amdskip]

I can along with some friends working there form a union then

Seriously though people complain about crappy conditions when half the time they don't speak up and stand up for themselves.

 

[CubicZirconia]

I kid I used to know got fired from walmart for trying to start a union (or so he says). According to him even mentioning union would get you canned (as Chadder said).

 

[Ness]

the formation of a union requires the mass of at least one store to be effective. If only a few people form a union and screw around, they could easily be fired and replaced.

Additionally, payment of union dues would be hard to organize and upkeep if walmart refuses to add it into their payroll process.

Furthermore, as previously mentioned, 99% of the people who work at Walmart are total morons who probably hold jobs for a few months at a time. In the dorm days I was at Walmart at least once a week and NEVER saw the same people working there, save for the ladies at the service desk. How can you form a Union with people who are there for only a few weeks? Simply put, the turnover ratio is way too large to get a union off the ground at Walmart. However, that also works in two directions, because of Walmart's ability to hire in employees so swiftly, it wouldn't be TOO hard to replace much of a lost workforce should a union strike.

I'm also sure that Walmart's benefits aren't worth complaining about should they be good enough for someone to actually care about.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: amdskip
I can along with some friends working there form a union then

Seriously though people complain about crappy conditions when half the time they don't speak up and stand up for themselves.

Better to be living in hell than out of a job and not living at all, I suppose.:Q

 

[43st]

Does it have anything to do with Walmart headquarters being located in Alabama? It's a right to work state, maybe that's how they manage it. I have no idea.

They have no Walmarts in NYC, I don't think they'd ever get one built in this town.

 

[edro]

Honda is also anti-Union, yet there is a Union building/Hall like 1 mile down the road from the Marysville plant They have been trying for years to get a Union in there... but no one wants it. There is no need.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: ness1469
the formation of a union requires the mass of at least one store to be effective. If only a few people form a union and screw around, they could easily be fired and replaced.

Additionally, payment of union dues would be hard to organize and upkeep if walmart refuses to add it into their payroll process.

Furthermore, as previously mentioned, 99% of the people who work at Walmart are total morons who probably hold jobs for a few months at a time. In the dorm days I was at Walmart at least once a week and NEVER saw the same people working there, save for the ladies at the service desk. How can you form a Union with people who are there for only a few weeks? Simply put, the turnover ratio is way too large to get a union off the ground at Walmart. However, that also works in two directions, because of Walmart's ability to hire in employees so swiftly, it wouldn't be TOO hard to replace much of a lost workforce should a union strike.

I'm also sure that Walmart's benefits aren't worth complaining about should they be good enough for someone to actually care about.

Yeah, i think you've got it right. The turnover rate is much too high, and the skills require much too low. Unlike other unionize industries, such as the automobile, construction, etc, that requires skills, you can just hire anybody to stack the shelves and cashier.

 

[Wuffsunie]

Originally posted by: amdskip
Walmart meat cutters attempted to form a union and walmart stopped it by pulling all the meat cutting equipment out of all stores. Honestly the intelligence level of most walmart employees is not high enough to form a union.

I've heard of them doing one better. This was brought up in relation to how a store in Alberta was trying to go union. Anyway, some of the examples the program cited where a union was 90% formed or so had walmart literally closing the store and moving out! I can't remember the names of the places, but they're quite ruthless in not allowing unions. Google it, I'm sure it'll come up.

Any large company that devotes a good chunk of its annual budget to settleing labor violations lawsuits makes me quite leary.

 

[TofBnT]

Unions have their place, however if you are having problems with Wal-Mart...
Take it above your manager, they don't tell you but you have the right to notify home office, they frown on bad work environment.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: dolph
i know wal-mart has always been accused of being anit-union, but is any large company really ever pro-union? what are wal-mart's most common anti-union actions, and if they're illegal, why have they been allowed to carry on for such a long time?

*note* try to keep this on topic, please. there's no way an insane post shouting "all unions must be crushed now!" or "proletariats of the world, unite!" will add anything of substance to this thread. thanks

Duh, most companies are anti-union. I can't tell you anything about their actions or the actions of companies who try to keep them out. I can only say that in a free market economy unions are the last thing that a consumer would want. A perfect example is the supermarket strikes going on here in California currently. These people make $17-18/hr and they are striking because new employees will not be granted the pension benefits the current employees are getting and they are being asked to contribute a VERY modest amount to the excellent heathcare benefits they enjoy. We have non union supermarkets in our area and the prices are much lower than union stores (especially for fresh produce). The end result of unions is higher prices for consumers.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

There are plenty of stores out there like Wal-Mart that have unions.

Fred Meyer's up was possibly going union. UFCW Local 1496 tried to move in and strong arm the employees into joining them, but the majority of employees did not want to. They had seen how UFCW Local 1496 had screwed over their members at other local stores (taking money from management in order to agree to a wage freeze, cuts in hours, etc.) and told the union people to fsck off. Of course, the union tried to say that Fred Meyer's had intimidated their employees into rejecting the union's offer, but they are full of sh!t.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: dolph
i know wal-mart has always been accused of being anit-union, but is any large company really ever pro-union? what are wal-mart's most common anti-union actions, and if they're illegal, why have they been allowed to carry on for such a long time?

*note* try to keep this on topic, please. there's no way an insane post shouting "all unions must be crushed now!" or "proletariats of the world, unite!" will add anything of substance to this thread. thanks

Duh, most companies are anti-union. I can't tell you anything about their actions or the actions of companies who try to keep them out. I can only say that in a free market economy unions are the last thing that a consumer would want. A perfect example is the supermarket strikes going on here in California currently. These people make $17-18/hr and they are striking because new employees will not be granted the pension benefits the current employees are getting and they are being asked to contribute a VERY modest amount to the excellent heathcare benefits they enjoy. We have non union supermarkets in our area and the prices are much lower than union stores (especially for fresh produce). The end result of unions is higher prices for consumers.

*boggle* Supermarket employees make $17-18 an hour?!

 

[AvesPKS]

Probably the same way that McDonalds does...fires anyone who shows interest, or shuts down a store that collectivizes.

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: Moralpanic

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: dolph
i know wal-mart has always been accused of being anit-union, but is any large company really ever pro-union? what are wal-mart's most common anti-union actions, and if they're illegal, why have they been allowed to carry on for such a long time?

*note* try to keep this on topic, please. there's no way an insane post shouting "all unions must be crushed now!" or "proletariats of the world, unite!" will add anything of substance to this thread. thanks

Duh, most companies are anti-union. I can't tell you anything about their actions or the actions of companies who try to keep them out. I can only say that in a free market economy unions are the last thing that a consumer would want. A perfect example is the supermarket strikes going on here in California currently. These people make $17-18/hr and they are striking because new employees will not be granted the pension benefits the current employees are getting and they are being asked to contribute a VERY modest amount to the excellent heathcare benefits they enjoy. We have non union supermarkets in our area and the prices are much lower than union stores (especially for fresh produce). The end result of unions is higher prices for consumers.

*boggle* Supermarket employees make $17-18 an hour?!

I actually used to kind of look down on a friend of my cousin's until my mom informed me of what you can make after you get into the union...

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: AvesPKS

Originally posted by: Moralpanic

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: dolph
i know wal-mart has always been accused of being anit-union, but is any large company really ever pro-union? what are wal-mart's most common anti-union actions, and if they're illegal, why have they been allowed to carry on for such a long time?

*note* try to keep this on topic, please. there's no way an insane post shouting "all unions must be crushed now!" or "proletariats of the world, unite!" will add anything of substance to this thread. thanks

Duh, most companies are anti-union. I can't tell you anything about their actions or the actions of companies who try to keep them out. I can only say that in a free market economy unions are the last thing that a consumer would want. A perfect example is the supermarket strikes going on here in California currently. These people make $17-18/hr and they are striking because new employees will not be granted the pension benefits the current employees are getting and they are being asked to contribute a VERY modest amount to the excellent heathcare benefits they enjoy. We have non union supermarkets in our area and the prices are much lower than union stores (especially for fresh produce). The end result of unions is higher prices for consumers.

*boggle* Supermarket employees make $17-18 an hour?!

I actually used to kind of look down on a friend of my cousin's until my mom informed me of what you can make after you get into the union...

Yeah, amazing how worthless some people are until you find out how much money they earn.

 

[Ferocious]

Of course unions are good in most cases. It's always good when workers have a real voice.

The problem lies with the labor laws in general. It is simply so easy for a company to fire someone and that scares most would-be union supporters.

I've been through an organizing campaign at a plant. It is an absolutely excruciating experience to go through. After that ordeal I understood why it's so hard to organize a workplace.

Takes a lot of stamina, persistance, and courage. Something most people don't have or are willing to invest.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: Thera
Does it have anything to do with Walmart headquarters being located in Alabama? It's a right to work state, maybe that's how they manage it. I have no idea.

They have no Walmarts in NYC, I don't think they'd ever get one built in this town.

I thought they were headquartered in Arkansas.

KK

 

dunno about wal-mart, but best buy prevented it by making it against company policy to talk about wages with other employees. To do so would invite instant termination