Could Wal-Mart Revive the Labor Movement?

[One Sweet World]

Counter Punch has a fascinating article up about how the labor movement might save itself by challenging Wal-Mart's suppressive union policy. It's an ambitious idea, but basically the articles suggests that if every Wal-Mart employee were able to rise up together at once, the Bentonville behemoth would be forced to acknowledge their union.

Here's an excerpt:

If Wal-Mart workers announced-in front of God, Pete Seeger, and the Department of Labor-their intention to unionize, what could Wal-Mart management legally do to prevent them? With so much sunshine let in, any move they made would be subject to intense scrutiny. The employees' declaration would carry the moral authority of Ronald Reagan's famous, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

I like it, and like some of the ideas I've seen at the Wake Up Wal-Mart blog. Thoughts?

[LiberalArkie]

1. It will not happen. The "Associates" at Wal-mart can not afford it.

They just do not earn enough to take time off for a strike, or risk it.

[One Sweet World]

2. So where do we start?

Where would you suggest we start? I don't think baby steps would work since Wal-Mart would likely crush any efforts like the Chinese did at Tienemen Square.

P.S. -- LiberalArkie, are you from Arkansas?

[sce56]

3. A boycott would be nice but of course you need the people to see why it is needed and the sheeple

haven't a clue thanks to the M$M

[MrsBrady]

4. many people working at Wal-mart

probably dont' even know what a union is.
much less how to start one.

[madmom]

5. While I do work at Wal-mart and I indeed know what a union is and

somewhat agree with most of the sentiments here, it still won't work. Why because starting with the air traffic controllers and ronnie reagan, there are now laws on the books that allow striker replacement.Why do you think Ford, GM, and these other big corps are getting away with large ceo bonuses and demanding workers give pack wages? Unions don't have the muscle they used to have because they have been neutralized, prior to reagan, this country would have been shut down, but since reganomics workers don't matter,everything was deregulated except labor.

[One Sweet World]

6. So how do we unionize Wal-Mart?

I'm not ready to throw in the towel with the nation's largest retailer. Do we start by unionizing smaller companies and get momentum or do we try to hit Wal-Mart with one massive blow?

I'm not sure what the answer is, but I do think that it's not a lost cause and we need to get more people talking about it.

[stimbox]

7. The first step is the employee free choice act.

The second would be to repeal Taft-Hartley.

That is why it is so important to elect pro-labor candidates.

[madmom]

8. I really don't know the answer to that, except we have got to make unions strong again,

before I worked at Wal-mart, I worked at Meijer which is a union shop, BUT, IMO union in name only, they were worthless, my union steward was my manager's daughter-in-law, the son was also a manager in a different department. I paid dues every week and was not represented by anyone IMO. Every time we had a problem, it was settles with management without our input. We need to get the republicans out and make union membership something to be proud of again! We need to get laws on the books that will level the playing field between management and organized labor, it is far to lopsided in favor of management, for instance meat-cutters, Wal-mart no longer cuts their own meat, it comes in pre-packaged.

(Also many of the people I worked with at Meijer were angry at having to pay dues, felt their money was being stolen, in fact in this case I believe it was.)

[stimbox]

9. The Meijer employees should have demanded a new shop steward. n/t

[madmom]

11. We tried that, but "they" decided she was "ok"!

[stimbox]

13. Didn't the rank and file get to elect their shop steward? n/t

[madmom]

15. Yes, she was elected before she married the guy. When we called it a

conflict of interest that's when they decided she was ok.

[stimbox]

17. There should have been a provision for a recall in the contract. n/t

[madmom]

19. Should have been, but there wasn't. Like I said they were union in name only, a form letter contract

[stimbox]

10. Another tactic would be to salt Walmart.

Salting is when union organizers get job at non-union shops and organize the workers.

[madmom]

12. That would be very tricky, could get people fired.

[stimbox]

14. The risk would be worth it imho. n/t

[madmom]

16. Most people who work there can't afford to be with out a job of any kind and around here,

they pay much better than most, the reason I'm there now. The women I work with are primarily working just for insurance purposes, the husband's job doesn't provide or it costs more than they can afford with out her working.We call it "the insurance poor". This is the way it is for most of middle America, sad but true.

[stimbox]

18. You're between a rock and a hard place. You have my sympathy and respect. n/t

[madmom]

20. Thank you, hoping to retire soon, depends on the SO and what happens there.

[librull1]

21. long way to go

Wake Up Wal-Mart needs to keep at it; they're doing a stellar
job of raising awareness of crass practices among the Death
Star's customer base. Check this out: they just got a
small-town newspaper in California to see the light.

http://blog.wakeupwalmart.com/ufcw/2008/03/local_paper_opp.html

And I commend Counter-Punch for thinking through scenarios in
which Wal-mart could unionize. If nothing else it's a great
thought exercise.

But with Wal-Mart proactively hiring America's most
option-starved workers, and keeping them there-- and catering
to the most option-starved shoppers, as well-- we've got a
long way to go before we can realistically hope to see a
Wal-Mart union.