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NSG Events

WAL-MART TO CLOSE UNIONIZED STORE

MONTREAL — Wal-Mart Canada announced today that it will close a Quebec store whose unionized employees were involved in negotiations to obtain their first labour contract.

Wal-Mart to close unionized store

CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL — Wal-Mart Canada announced today that it will close a Quebec store whose unionized employees were involved in negotiations to obtain their first labour contract.

“Despite nine days of meetings over three months, we’ve been unable to reach an agreement with the union that in our view will allow the store to operate efficiently and profitably,” company spokesman Andrew Pelletier said in a statement.

The store, which will close in May, is located in Saguenay, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City. Nearly 200 employees received union accreditation last summer, making it the chain’s only unionized outlet at the time.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union was not available for immediate comment but Claudia Tremblay, a cashier at the store, said many employees burst into tears when managers told them about the news this morning.

“Many people cried, including myself,” Tremblay, 29, said in an interview.

“I’m a mother of two children and I’m separated from my husband. It’s very difficult.”

Tremblay said she abstained from the unionization vote, adding she was upset that her non-commital stance won’t save her job.

Pelletier said the union walked away on Feb. 1 from the collective-bargaining process, which was scheduled to run until at least March 15, and told the company and the conciliator it would be applying for arbitration.

“On Feb. 2, 2005, the union officially applied for first contract arbitration and in doing so acknowledged that the company and union were not likely to reach a collective agreement,” he said.

Employees at another Wal-Mart store in St-Hyacinthe, east of Montreal, have also been accredited.

Wal-Mart operates two other non-unionized stores in the Saguenay-Lac St-Jean region.

Wal-Mart Canada, whose headquarters are in Mississauga, operates 256 stores and six Sam’s Clubs across Canada with more than 70,000 employees.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1107947581242&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037

February 9, 2005

Upcoming Actions & Events

WAL-MART TO CLOSE UNIONIZED STORE

MONTREAL — Wal-Mart Canada announced today that it will close a Quebec store whose unionized employees were involved in negotiations to obtain their first labour contract.

Wal-Mart to close unionized store

CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL — Wal-Mart Canada announced today that it will close a Quebec store whose unionized employees were involved in negotiations to obtain their first labour contract.

“Despite nine days of meetings over three months, we’ve been unable to reach an agreement with the union that in our view will allow the store to operate efficiently and profitably,” company spokesman Andrew Pelletier said in a statement.

The store, which will close in May, is located in Saguenay, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City. Nearly 200 employees received union accreditation last summer, making it the chain’s only unionized outlet at the time.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union was not available for immediate comment but Claudia Tremblay, a cashier at the store, said many employees burst into tears when managers told them about the news this morning.

“Many people cried, including myself,” Tremblay, 29, said in an interview.

“I’m a mother of two children and I’m separated from my husband. It’s very difficult.”

Tremblay said she abstained from the unionization vote, adding she was upset that her non-commital stance won’t save her job.

Pelletier said the union walked away on Feb. 1 from the collective-bargaining process, which was scheduled to run until at least March 15, and told the company and the conciliator it would be applying for arbitration.

“On Feb. 2, 2005, the union officially applied for first contract arbitration and in doing so acknowledged that the company and union were not likely to reach a collective agreement,” he said.

Employees at another Wal-Mart store in St-Hyacinthe, east of Montreal, have also been accredited.

Wal-Mart operates two other non-unionized stores in the Saguenay-Lac St-Jean region.

Wal-Mart Canada, whose headquarters are in Mississauga, operates 256 stores and six Sam’s Clubs across Canada with more than 70,000 employees.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1107947581242&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037

February 9, 2005

News & Analysis

WAL-MART TO CLOSE UNIONIZED STORE

MONTREAL — Wal-Mart Canada announced today that it will close a Quebec store whose unionized employees were involved in negotiations to obtain their first labour contract.

Wal-Mart to close unionized store

CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL — Wal-Mart Canada announced today that it will close a Quebec store whose unionized employees were involved in negotiations to obtain their first labour contract.

“Despite nine days of meetings over three months, we’ve been unable to reach an agreement with the union that in our view will allow the store to operate efficiently and profitably,” company spokesman Andrew Pelletier said in a statement.

The store, which will close in May, is located in Saguenay, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City. Nearly 200 employees received union accreditation last summer, making it the chain’s only unionized outlet at the time.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union was not available for immediate comment but Claudia Tremblay, a cashier at the store, said many employees burst into tears when managers told them about the news this morning.

“Many people cried, including myself,” Tremblay, 29, said in an interview.

“I’m a mother of two children and I’m separated from my husband. It’s very difficult.”

Tremblay said she abstained from the unionization vote, adding she was upset that her non-commital stance won’t save her job.

Pelletier said the union walked away on Feb. 1 from the collective-bargaining process, which was scheduled to run until at least March 15, and told the company and the conciliator it would be applying for arbitration.

“On Feb. 2, 2005, the union officially applied for first contract arbitration and in doing so acknowledged that the company and union were not likely to reach a collective agreement,” he said.

Employees at another Wal-Mart store in St-Hyacinthe, east of Montreal, have also been accredited.

Wal-Mart operates two other non-unionized stores in the Saguenay-Lac St-Jean region.

Wal-Mart Canada, whose headquarters are in Mississauga, operates 256 stores and six Sam’s Clubs across Canada with more than 70,000 employees.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1107947581242&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037

February 9, 2005