Watching the Growth of Walmart Across America

Walmart Spreads Across America
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The Nag reiterates her hatred of Wal-Mart

Gatineau Wal-Mart workers awarded contract:

A Gatineau Wal-Mart became the first in North America with a union contract yesterday when a collective agreement was put into place between the retailer and eight employees of the store's auto shop.
After a three-year process that ended with a ruling by an arbitrator, the eights employees at the Tire & Lube Express centre, represented by local 486 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada should see their wages rise to a minimum of $11.54 an hour from the current $8.50 an hour.
In 2005, Wal-Mart shut down its Jonquière store, northwest of Quebec City, days before an arbitrator was to impose a contract. The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear the union's case that Wal-Mart violated Quebec labour laws, as well as the Charter of Rights, when it closed the store.
Arbitrator Alain Corriveau, who imposed the Gatineau agreement is expected to make a decision soon regarding a a first contract at a Wal-Mart in St-Hyacinthe, 60 kilometres southeast of Montreal, covering 200 associates and 10 technicians, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada, are awaiting their first collective agreement.

Wal-Mart must recognize that Canadian workers won't tolerate being paid minimum wage so that consumers can pay rock bottom prices for foreign-made inferior goods and Wal-Mart can make huge profits. They can close all their Canadian stores, I'd be happier.

Just Because It's Legal Doesn't Mean It's Right

"Wal-Mart is Mexico’s largest private-sector employer in the nation today, with nearly 150,000 local residents on its payroll. An additional 19,000 youngsters between the ages of 14 and 16 work after school in hundreds of Wal-Mart stores, mostly as grocery baggers, throughout Mexico—and none of them receives a red cent in wages or fringe benefits." More

Via Cynical-C Blog