anti-union literature at a store in Quesnel, B.C. walmart is seeking to change labour laws to allow 1. What were the rights of Walmart, the employer, during these two organizing drives? it to address employee concerns. Questions 3. In your opinion, can Walmart remain union free indefinitely? Why or why not? 4. Should foreign companies that operate in Canada use their resources to try to weaken Canadian labour laws or accept the legal cul ture of the country and comply with those laws 2. The certification of the first Walmart was Jailed by labour as a milestone event. Why? in pen One catted fled them plan wild be revoked On May 9 them OLRB nonetheles certified the work. However, questions were also raised whether Walmart w chose the store and miss the employees if the union was martered that it would be appropriate stores from the failing Wolce chain walmart had will do the store is unioninedis repeated thuar line when employees asked the same said that things would change the employees were unionine-for example, the proshan not disting itself from the ready WALMART STORES IN CANADA In 2006, Walmart was operating more than 6500 stores with 1.8 million employees around the world to the early 1990s, Walmart Stores Inc. refused to purchase nine Wo stes that were unionized Walmart tries to distinguish itself from other retailers by its culture. For example, it calls its workers associates, not employees. Every day at of a compulsory meeting is held at each this video with 151 employees vening met Financial information and performance targets and respond to questions. The meeting ends with the Walmart cheer. The company operates an open the associate at the meeting by nowing door policy, whereby any employee can talk to remember of management about issues and inside panier to respond by soliciting tions about the impact of unionization but then reprisal. The sundown rule ensures that manage refusing to tell employees that they would ex ment responds to the questions before sundown be fired if the union won, and by using senere the same day side managers to engage employees in frequent The first Walmart store ever to be union and repetitive discussions about the union ined was in Windsor, Ontario, where the United drive in the days leading up to the vote. O Steelworkers (Retail and Wholesale Division) was stated that the union had bf cards signed before certified by the Ontario Labour Relations Board the managers' visits, and a week later, this support (ORB). On April 14, 1997, the United Steelworkers had dropped. A second vote woold not change began its organizing drive. On April 26, the store the outcome because the threat to job securin manager became aware that associates were being could not be erased from employees and her approached to sign unionization cards. The district Walmart's illegal conduct was remedied by manager was told of the organizing drive and the tification order, the Ontario government changed next morning attended the morning meeting. The the law to take away that remedal option from the district manager asked the associates why they labour board. However, the right to cerita in would want to join a union and spent the day as a remedy for unfair labour practices luso circulating through the store to discuss their prob again been restored in Ontario and exists in the lems or concerns. By April 27, i associates had Canadian jurisdictions signed cards. On April 29, an associate asked to Despite numerous organizing denes Walmart speak at the morning meeting and there expressed continues to try to be union free UFC cured her opposition to the union, ending with the state Walmart with unfair labour practices in that ment, "A union will only cause discontentment in a union organizing drive in British Columbia our store, and I assure you as I am standing here, discrediting the key organizer and by achining Walmart will not put up with it." (Management employees that if he turned up at their homes the did not ask, nor did the associate reveal, why she could call the police. The BC Labour Boards wanted to speak.) An inside organizer was pre "Walmart hus an anti-union history and phy vented from responding because it was 9 am, and cannot resist the temptation to get invoedinom customers were waiting to enter the store. tification campaigns. While Walmart hus tended Between May 1 and May 9. Walmart managers not to repeat its mistakes, there is no shortage including managers from outside the store- new ones that it finds ways to make them responded to questions placed in a question pany's view, not being able to answer employee and answer box and to those raised while they concerns about tonation is not part of it wandered about the store. Most of the ques ture of open communication. But res labour le tions focused on compensation and hours of tons boards bellese that the company has gone far in communication by for cumple diambres PART 5: BHANGING EMPLOYEE-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS