May 9, 2005

No Wal-Mart Smile In Jonquiere

JONQUIERE, Quebec, Canada — Hundreds of Jonquiere region citizens gathered to show the true face of Wal- Mart by forming a giant mosaic that transformed Wal-Mart’s logo from a smile to a sneer.

The rally was just one of many gatherings and protest rallies held on May 6th at Wal-Mart locations across Quebec, one week after 200 Wal-Mart employees in Jonquiere were let go and their store shut just months after they became the only unionized Wal- Mart location in North America.

May 6th was the day Wal-Mart said they would shut the store. The actually shut it one week earlier on April 29th without notice to escape the attention of local citizens and the media.

A recent Polara survey showed that more than 80 percent of Canadians dismiss Wal-Mart’s claim the store was losing money. Most Canadians surveyed said Wal-Mart shut the store to frighten other Wal-Mart employees from unionizing.

In spite of Wal-Mart’s move, two other Quebec Wal-Mart locations have since been certified in Saint-Hyacinthe and in Gatineau, Applications to certify 12 other Wal-Mart locations across Canada are also pending.

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