Union goes to court to get Wal-Mart to re-open in Saguenay

No Wal-Mart smile in Jonquière

JONQUIÈRE, QC – Hundreds of Jonquière area citizens gathered to show the true face of Wal-Mart by forming a giant mosaic that transformed Wal-Mart’s logo from a smile to a sneer.

The rally was just one of many gatherings and protest rallies held on May 6th at Wal-Mart locations across Québec, one week after 200 Wal-Mart employees in Jonquière were let go and their store shut just months after they became the only unionized Wal-Mart location in North America.

May 6th was the day Wal-Mart said they would shut the store. They actually shut it one week earlier on April 29th, without notice, to escape the attention of local citizens and the media.

A recent Polara survey showed that more than 80% of Canadians dismiss Wal-Mart’s claim the store was losing money. Most Canadians surveyed said Wal-Mart shut the store to frighten other Wal-Mart employees from unionizing.

In spite of Wal-Mart’s move, two other Québec Wal-Mart locations have since been certified in Saint-Hyacinthe and in Gatineau. Applications to certify 12 other Wal-Mart locations across Canada are also pending.

Wal-Mart slams the door on unionized store earlier than announced

Workers dismissed after deciding to join a union

JONQUIÈRE, QC - Wal-Mart Canada today shut a recently unionized store in Jonquière, Québec, a week earlier than the previously announced. In February Wal-Mart said it would shut the location on May 6, 2005, just months after the store was unionized by UFCW Canada (United Food and Commercial Workers Canada).

The decision to close early comes days after the Québec Labour Commission ruled it would consider an application by UFCW Canada to force Wal-Mart to keep the store open until a series of unfair labour practice charges filed against Wal-Mart were ruled on by the commission.

The earlier than announced closure was not wholly unexpected. Wal-Mart had progressively emptied the store over the last month and accelerated that after Wal-Mart became aware of a National Day of Action by labour activists planned for May 6th at various Wal-Mart locations in Québec, and May 7th at Wal-Marts across the rest of Canada.

“Wal-Mart’s decision to sneak out of town early was no surprise,” according to Michael Fraser, the national director of UFCW Canada. “Every bully is a coward and Wal-Mart was afraid if they waited till next week the media and outraged local citizens would be there for the closing.”

“They were also scared that the labour commission might order them to keep Jonquière open. Once again Wal-Mart has demonstrated that the only rulebook it plays by is its own.”

In spite of the early closure, the National Day of Action events will proceed next week, as will first contract arbitration between TUAC 503 and Wal-Mart regarding the Jonquière store.

Arbitration is scheduled to commence May 11th under the authority of an arbitrator appointed by the Quebec Ministry of Labour. First contract negotiations also continue for a Wal-Mart store recently certified in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec.