Wal-Mart Seeks to Head Off Worker Protests

[xUT]

Wal-Mart Seeks to Head Off Worker Protests

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT -1.00% tried to head off worker protests at its stores over the Thanksgiving holiday by filing an unfair-labor-practice complaint against a union the company says is behind the protest plans.
The complaint, which Wal-Mart filed Thursday against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, asks the National Labor Relations Board to issue an injunction against worker rallies and pickets that have been staged at Wal-Mart stores and warehouses across the country for at least the last six months.
The protesting workers, who complain of low wages, short hours and poor working conditions, are members of OUR Walmart, or Organization United for Respect at Walmart, which was started in 2010 with financial support and advice from the UFCW. The union has been involved in previous efforts to represent Wal-Mart workers.
The union says that today OUR Walmart is "its own nonprofit organized by Wal-Mart workers and funded through dues that are voluntarily contributed," said UFCW spokeswoman Jill Cashen.

B) xUT

 

[xUT]

As a related topic:
Target retail employees also mad about ‘Black Friday creep’

As it stands now, Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Sears and KMart will be the first large retail chains to open their doors for bargain hunters at 8 p.m. Many other chains are open Thanksgiving Day, but their Black Friday sales don’t start until midnight or Friday morning.

St. Clair, who lives in Corona, California, is scheduled to work Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. She’ll return Thanksgiving Day before 9 p.m. and work until 5:15 on Friday morning. She has to sleep at some point, so traveling 45 minutes each way for Thanksgiving dinner is out.
“It shouldn’t have to be a rushed affair, slipping in to eat some turkey and taking a piece of pie for the road,” said St. Clair, who plans to have dinner at home with her boyfriend before going to work.

B) xUT

 

[700UW]

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-16/wal-mart-workers-black-friday-strike

 

[delldude]

As a related topic:
Target retail employees also mad about ‘Black Friday creep’


B) xUT

“It shouldn’t have to be a rushed affair, slipping in to eat some turkey and taking a piece of pie for the road,” said St. Clair, who plans to have dinner at home with her boyfriend before going to work.

Sounds like 3-11 shift on Thanksgiving in the mill.....must be rough.

 

[xUT]

Sounds like 3-11 shift on Thanksgiving in the mill.....must be rough.

Ya gotta do what Ya gotta do.
How many holidays did you work? I am betting on more than a few.
As for Myself (airline 24/7 biz N'Chit), I worked plenty but was paid for it.
I could have quit if I didn't like it.
B) xUT

 

[xUT]

I am wondering who these people are that are willing to shop at Thanksgiving and midnight for a sale.
It can't be a socioeconomic thing as we have seen people sleep out all night to be the first in line to buy an ipad/ipod.
I just don't get it.
B) xUT

 

[delldude]

Ya gotta do what Ya gotta do.
How many holidays did you work? I am betting on more than a few.
As for Myself (airline 24/7 biz N'Chit), I worked plenty but was paid for it.
I could have quit if I didn't like it.
B) xUT

Most if not all, one shift or another.

 

[delldude]

I am wondering who these people are that are willing to shop at Thanksgiving and midnight for a sale.
It can't be a socioeconomic thing as we have seen people sleep out all night to be the first in line to buy an ipad/ipod.
I just don't get it.
B) xUT

Buying their Chinese gadgets without a thought to the working conditions and wages of the people who make these highly prized items.

 

[xUT]

Buying their Chinese gadgets without a thought to the working conditions and wages of the people who make these highly prized items.

Oh Yea, that's right... MeriKans who #### about outsourcing and don't even 'try' buy MeriKan Products.
So true. Now it's too late.
B) xUT

 

[signals]

If you are in the retail business why does this surprise you? Back when I was in this industry, we felt that having to work on Sundays was extreme since that was the only day guaranteed off. So cry me a river because Corporate Greed decides to jump the gun on Black Friday. I'm surprised Black Friday isn't in September.

 

[signals]

I am wondering who these people are that are willing to shop at Thanksgiving and midnight for a sale.
It can't be a socioeconomic thing as we have seen people sleep out all night to be the first in line to buy an ipad/ipod.
I just don't get it.
B) xUT

Nor do I.

It would seem that people are losing site of the fact that XMAS isn't about gifts but yet here we are trying to get deals on junk ASAP!

 

[delldude]

We need an EMP.

 

[xUT]

We need an EMP.

LOL then what would people do.

 

[Kev3188]

If you are in the retail business why does this surprise you? Back when I was in this industry, we felt that having to work on Sundays was extreme since that was the only day guaranteed off. So cry me a river because Corporate Greed decides to jump the gun on Black Friday. I'm surprised Black Friday isn't in September.

Exactly. Big difference between workers rising up for better working conditions and someone boo-hooing that they have to work on T-day.

... I'm pretty sure most of us have had to work some/all of the holidays at some point. That's just how it goes in both retail and 24/7 operations. Heck, I can remember trying NOT to get forced off on T-day...

 

[RDU Jetblast]

most of us have worked many holidays . But we were well compensated. I was anyway.

These folks arent and they probably try pick up as much OT as possible to make ends meet.

I knew going into the airline industry
that I would miss most holidays but we were able to float them with p.o.a.d.

These guys can lose their job for refusing.

it is a simple damned holiday. Give them a freakin break. make black thursday a money loser.

retail is not a 24/7 operation