Walmart accused of firing union organizers in bid to intimidate workers

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Walmart accused of firing union organizers in bid to intimidate workers

Spencer Woodman
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 26 July 2012 17.46 BST

Walmart is facing accusations that the company is engaged in a bold and illegal campaign to stamp out union activity after firing five employees in recent months who were involved in a group organizing the company's workers.

Although the company says that the terminations are unrelated to any employees' organizing activity, OUR Walmart – which receives funding and support from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union – argues that the pattern points to an emerging strategy to break the organization's command structure and intimidate workers.

One terminated worker, Angela Williamson, a mother of three, was fired in late May because, the company says, of unexcused absences. An active organizer at her store in Florida – and at the national level – Williamson says she was unable to pay the rent on her apartment after losing her job. She believes that her role in the labor organization led to her termination.

In Los Angeles, where local opposition has been mounting over a proposed Walmart in Chinatown, Girshreila Green was fired from her job earlier this month, just five days after she addressed a crowd at the largest ever anti-Walmart rally. Green, who is seven months pregnant, has been an outspoken critic of Walmart and a leading national organizer at OUR Walmart.

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Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jul/26/walmart-accused-firing-union-organizers

[demosincebirth]

1. I understand why the poor shop at Walmart. But why do others? I would not shop there if the

Walmart store was next door to me.