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News and Updates
May 9, 2011
Walmart
Pretoria, South Africa – A global coalition of trade unions will present its arguments on why Walmart should only be allowed to enter the South African market if it abides by certain conditions that will safeguard the economy and South African workers.
The South African Competition Tribunal resumes its hearings today on the proposed entry of Walmart into South Africa via the takeover of Massmart.
The global coalition of unions contesting the merger South Africa Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU), UNI Global Union, and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) of North America will present evidence showing that the Tribunal should only allow the deal to go through if Walmart agrees to conditions on treatment of workers, union rights and sourcing products locally.
“We have prepared a clear case that shows that Walmart has a history around the world of suppressing union and worker rights,” said Christy Hoffman of UNI Global Union, the worldwide union federation representing 20 million workers. “In countries where the company has not been legally obligated to accept a union, like the United States and Canada, it has brutally suppressed all of workers organising attempts. Even in countries where it was forced to accept a unionised workforce, Walmart has been attacking their rights every chance it gets.”
The South African Government will join the union coalition in presenting its concerns about the impact of the merger of the size of the proposed Walmart / Massmart transaction on employment and competition.
The government has demanded that binding conditions be put in place to hold Walmart accountable to the promises it is making the South African people, including respect of trade union rights and existing collective agreements, job security, local procurement and support for small business, respect for the rule of law and non-discriminatory practices in order to ensure that the deal does not undermine the New Growth Path.
To demonstrate Walmarts devastating effects, SACCAWU in conjunction with the UFCW solicited written testimony from international economists and labour experts to submit to the Competition Tribunal. This includes a new affidavit from Kenneth Jacobs, Chair of the University of California Berkeley Centre for Labour Research and Education. Jacobs has studied extensively Walmarts effects on workers and the local communities where it operates in the United States.
“Given Walmarts well-documented history of violations of labour and employment law elsewhere,” Jacobs said in his report, “if the Tribunal does elect to permit Walmart to acquire Massmart Holdings, Inc., conditions should be attached to the acquisition that would prove legal backing to Walmarts commitments to the Commission.”
Jacobs says that Walmart has depressed retail wages in the communities it operates and in many cases has put more costs on taxpayers because its employees are more likely to need public assistance for healthcare and other costs. He also says Walmart’s procurement model puts tremendous pressure on suppliers to cut costs, with the result that many suppliers have been shown to pay employees below the legal minimum wage or otherwise violate the law in order to meet the targets.
“In the United States, we have clearly seen the race to the bottom as the Walmart Model has come to dominate the industry,” said Michael Bride of the UFCW. “The Competition Tribunal has the opportunity to stop this from happening in South Africa and to impose conditions that will protect economic growth.”
The Tribunal hearings began in March but were postponed in order to allow the unions and government to share their evidence. Arguments will be heard for the next week.
April 28, 2011
STATEMENT BY UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION PRESIDENT JOE HANSEN ON THE AT&T AND T-MOBILE MERGER
Washington, D.C. – The acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T is good news for workers, consumers and the U.S. economy. This merger represents an opportunity for the U.S. to expand high speed broadband and buildout, narrow the digital divide and improve the quality of service for consumers. This merger also gives T-Mobile workers the same protections and bargaining power as the 42,000 unionized workers at AT&T, the only wireless provider that has a unionized workforce.
A strong partnership already exists between the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the German trade union, ver.di, and the two unions formed a joint organization called TU that represents T-Mobile workers on both sides of the Atlantic. In Germany, Deutsche Telekom, which owns T-Mobile, fully recognizes workers’ bargaining rights, and ver.di is a full and positive partner. That has not been the case in the U.S., where T-Mobile workers have been discouraged from forming a union.
Amid the anti-union legislation sweeping through the country, this merger is a positive step in the right direction for workers who want to make their own choice about having a bargaining voice. The UFCW has no doubt that T-Mobile’s workers will benefit from their association with the CWA and the union’s president, Larry Cohen, and finally have a voice in their workplace.
April 28, 2011
STATEMENT BY UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION PRESIDENT JOE HANSEN ON WORKERS
Today, on Workers’ Memorial Day, the UFCW will join workers in the U.S. and around the world to honor the thousands of workers who have been killed on the job and the millions of workers who have suffered from injuries, sickness or diseases in their places of work. This year’s memorial day marks the 40th anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the right of workers to a safe workplace, as well as the 100th anniversary of one of the worst workplace disasters to take place in our country.
One hundred years ago, on March 25, 1911, a fire spread through the cramped floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. When the workers—mostly young female immigrants—tried to escape, they encountered locked doors and broken fire escapes. Rather than be burned alive, the workers began jumping out of windows and fell to their deaths on the street below as bystanders watched in horror. That terrible tragedy, which took the lives of 146 workers, served as a catalyst for major labor reforms and changed the way we work and live.
A century later, the fight to protect workers continues amid anti-union legislation that is sweeping though the country. Just three years ago, managers at the Imperial Sugar Company in Port Wentworth, Georgia—one of the few non-union plants in the industry—tolerated dirty and dangerous worksite conditions, and 15 workers without a collective voice died in a massive fire and explosion. Twenty years ago, 25 poultry workers at the Imperial Foods plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, were locked inside by their bosses and died in a horrible fire. Like the Triangle workers, they had no other voice to demand safety. Indeed, we just saw the worst mining disaster in 40 years, as the executives at the Massey coal mine in Montcoal, West Virginia, told their subordinates to put production first before any other job duties. Surviving workers testified to the rampant fear that effectively suppressed complaints in a company that had viciously opposed unions for decades.
The right to a safe workplace was won after decades of struggle by workers and their unions. On Workers’ Memorial Day, we honor and pay tribute to the men and women who died at Imperial Sugar, Imperial Foods, Massey Energy and all the other dangerous workplaces. In their memory, we renew our commitment to preventing such tragedies by supporting workers who are struggling to protect their basic rights–including safe jobs, workplace fairness, collective bargaining, freedom from discrimination and favoritism.
April 26, 2011
Food & Commercial Workers Leader to Co-Chair Council of Institutional Investors
Washington, DC – United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Executive Vice President and Director of Organizing Pat O’Neill has been named by his peers as co-head of the Board of North America’s largest institutional investor trade group, the Council of Institutional Investors (CII). O’Neill was unanimously elected as Co-Chair with Joseph Dear, Chief Investment Officer of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, at the CII semi-annual conference last week.
O’Neill is a leader for greater accountability and transparency from the investment managers of pension plans that are entrusted with the retirements of millions of Americans. He has also is a prominent union trustee himself, safeguarding the retirements of people across North America who have worked in the retail, grocery and food processing industries.
“CII is a place where union pension funds, public fund trustees and corporate plans all find common ground,” said O’Neill. “We all work together to demand accountability from irresponsible corporations and protect the retirements earned by decades of hard work by millions of people.”
CII is a nonprofit association of public, union and corporate employee benefit funds along with foundations and endowments that have combined assets worth more than $3 trillion. CII is a leading voice for good corporate governance and strong shareowner rights.
March 30, 2011
ADVISORY: Walmart Organizer Joining White House Women
WHAT: Press availability with Ernestine Bassett – a Laurel, Maryland Walmart Associate who is working to organize her workplace, after her participation at Monday’s White House event on women and organizing.
Event also streaming live at 9:00am EDT, viewable at http://s.dol.gov/DP or http://whitehouse.gov/live.
WHEN: Approximately 10:30 EDT, Monday, March 28, 2011
WASHINGTON – Monday morning at 9:00am EDT, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the White House and Department of Labor are hosting a Women’s History Month forum with women workers and organizers, discussing their courageous roles in organizing their workplaces.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Valerie B. Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls will be joined by women who are currently working to organize their workplaces, including Ernestine Bassett, a Walmart Associate from Laurel, Maryland. A significant majority of Walmart’s hourly Associates are women.
“”As a retired CWA member, I understand there is strength in numbers. I know first hand the pride that comes with being part of a union. That’s why I am committed, despite significant intimidation from my employer, to winning that same respect for my fellow associates at this county’s largest private employer, Walmart,”” said Bassett.
On March 25, 1911, one hundred years ago, 146 garment workers – most of them young women and girls – died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City. A seminal event in the United States labor movement, public pressure after the fire spurred critical and long overdue workplace safety reforms. This compelling history highlights the critical need to ensure worker safety and labor standards for all workers. It is also a story of women who were seeking to improve their workplaces and lives by organizing– the same action many women are taking up today in the workplace.
The White House event is not open to the press, but Ernestine Bassett will be available for interviews after the discussion.
Jennifer Stapleton, Assistant Director of the United Food and Commercial Worker’s Making Change at Walmart campaign said, “”Ernestine Bassett is a profile in courage – working to organize her store despite intimidation by her employer, Walmart. The role of our campaign, Making Change at Walmart, is to stand with workers like Ernestine, who are organizing for respect in the workplace. We’re looking forward to her participation and the discussion.”
Contact:
Casie Yoder – (202) 223-3111 x1451 / cyoder@ufcw.org
March 29, 2011
Making Change at Walmart Statement on Dukes: Supreme Court Must Rule to Ensure Equality in the Workplace
Jennifer Stapleton, Assistant Director of the United Food and Commercial Worker’s Making Change at Walmart campaign, issued the following statement in response to this morning’s Supreme Court proceedings in the Walmart Stores v. Dukes case:
“This morning, before the U.S. Supreme Court, legal representatives for the more than one million women of Dukes v. Walmart Stores stood up for the right to fairly challenge the years of inequality these women experienced in the workplace.
“Making Change at Walmart stands with all Walmart associates as they strive to secure the respect in the workplace they deserve. However, Walmart’s response to this case – that the company is too big for justice – threatens not only the rights of the women of Dukes, but the rights of all workers, male and female, who seek fair treatment and respect at work.
“Making Change at Walmart is committed to the idea that all workers should receive equal treatment. Walmart’s promotion practices stood in the way of this goal – resulting in women being paid less and promoted at lower rates than their male colleagues. The Supreme Court must rule to uphold the certification of the women plaintiffs as a class, allowing the case to move forward as a class action lawsuit. A jury can then consider the merits of the charges brought against Walmart.”
About Making Change at Walmart:
Making Change at Walmart seeks to promote the American values of equality, dignity and respect in the workplace. The campaign is making change by working directly with Walmart Associates to claim the respect on the job they deserve, holding Walmart corporate managers accountable to hourly employees and the public for their practices and joining with community leaders in major cities across America to make sure that any new jobs offered by Walmart meet strong standards for healthy, growing communities.
March 28, 2011
UFCW Applauds White House, Department of Labor Event Celebrating Women Organizers
(Washington, D.C.) – This morning, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the White House and Department of Labor hosted a forum with women workers and organizers, discussing their courageous roles in organizing their workplaces.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Valerie B. Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, were joined by women who are currently working to organize their workplaces, including Ernestine Bassett, a Walmart Associate from Laurel, Maryland.
“We are still fighting to provide adequate working conditions for all women and men on the job, ensure that no person within our borders is exploited for their labor, and uphold collective bargaining as a means to give workers a seat at the tables of power,” said President Obama in a proclamation released at the event.
“At today’s event, the Administration made it very clear that it values the role unions play in building the middle class in this country,” said Joe Hansen, UFCW International President. “We thank them for standing with courageous women who are currently trying to improve their lives by organizing their workplaces.”
“Walmart is the largest private employer in this country,” said Patrick O’Neill, UFCW Director of Organizing. “Their practices set the standard for the retail industry. We are pleased that the White House and Department of Labor gave a Walmart associate the chance to testify about the intimidation she and her coworkers face when trying to exercise their legal rights to organize for respect on the job.”
“I am committed, despite significant intimidation from my employer, to winning respect for my fellow associates at Walmart,” said Ernestine Bassett. “We are organizing to ensure safety and a better life for all Walmart associates.”
To watch the event online, visit:
March 23, 2011
Global labor coalition to urge South African Competition Tribunal to reject Walmart or set conditions and standards
(Pretoria, 22 March 2011) — South African workers, together with workers’ representatives from around the globe, will assemble outside the South African government’s Competition Tribunal hearings today, demanding that it protects the local economy and reject Walmart’s unconditional entry into the country. Shareholders have accepted Walmart’s offer to acquire a 51 percent stake in South African retailer Massmart for $3.2 billion. Walmart, with sales of more than US$405 billion in 2010, is the world’s largest company, giving it substantial power to dominate the world’s global supply chains, shape the local retail sector and dictate the conditions of trade to thousands of supply firms in other sectors.
“We will tell the Competition Tribunal that we believe it is not in the best interest of South Africa for Walmart to be allowed into our country. We will also outline the conditions that must apply in the event that the Tribunal believes differently and or otherwise rules that the company may enter. Those conditions must contain protections for workers, suppliers, and the wider South African community,” said Bones Skulu, General Secretary of the South Africa Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU).
The South African Government, through its Departments on Economic Development, Trade & Industry and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, expressed great concern about the impact of the merger of the size of the proposed Walmart / Massmart transaction on employment and competition. It has demanded that binding conditions be put in place to hold Walmart accountable to the promises it is making the South African people in relation to, amongst others, trade union rights and existing collective agreements, job security, local procurement and support for small business, respect for the rule of law and non-discriminatory practices in order to ensure that the deal does not undermine the New Growth Path that is addressing the high levels of unemployment and abject poverty in the country.
“We are urging the Competition Tribunal to take the experience of workers from around the globe under advisement as they deliberate on this vital matter,” said Christy Hoffman of UNI Global Union, the worldwide umbrella union representing 20 million workers. “In many of the countries where Walmart workers have union representation, the company cuts back on the rights of workers at every opportunity. In countries where Walmart was not forced to accept a union because it acquired a company without an organised workforce (such as the United States and Canada), Walmart employs severe tactics to silence workers and keep them from having a voice on the job. It is clear that if the Competition Tribunal takes the rights of Massmart’s workers in particular and South African workforce in general seriously, they must set conditions now to protect those rights.”
“In North America we have witnessed the devastating effect that the Walmart model has upon small businesses, suppliers, and communities,” said Michael Bride of the North American United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). “We are here today to urge the South African Competition Tribunal to place the needs of South Africa’s citizens at the centre of its deliberations and ensure that if Walmart does enter the country, that it does so on a basis that will promote economic development rather than destroy it.”
To demonstrate Walmart’s devastating effects, SACCAWU in conjunction with the UFCW solicited written testimony from ten international economists and labour experts. This testimony was submitted to the Competition Tribunal. Three experts, Nelson Lichtenstein of the University of California, Sofia Scasserra of FAECYS Union in Argentina and Claudio Avarena of the CONATRACOPS union in Chile were invited to testify at the Tribunal.
“Walmart has employed a consistent business model of downward pressure on suppliers and workers throughout its history,” said Lichtenstein. “This pressure often has a devastating effect on suppliers that sell to the company. They may see their volume go up, but their profit margins go down. Many find themselves pitted against suppliers from countries with poor labor standards such as China and Bangladesh. Ultimately, many are unable to compete and forced to either move jobs offshore or close all together.”
SACCAWU, UNI and UFCW, together with the other members of the Anti-Walmart Coalition, including COSATU, are demanding that the Competition Tribunal ensure that, should Walmart be granted the opportunity to acquire Massmart, conditions are imposed on the company that serve to make its entry more sustainable for South African suppliers and workers as well as the economic growth and development.
The Competition Act of South Africa empowers the South African Competition Commission to recommend to the Competition Tribunal the blocking or setting of binding conditions on parties in a proposed merger. The commission is charged with considering public interest factors such as the effect of a possible merger on employment, small businesses, or particular industries or geographic regions. The Tribunal on the other hand has a duty and authority to decide whether or not to accept the Commission’s recommendations. It is with this in mind that the Anti-Walmart Coalition expects and accordingly demands that the Tribunal acts responsibly and reject the proposed merger.
March 23, 2011
Union coalition welcomes decision by Competition Tribunal to stay proceedings
(Pretoria, South Africa)–The proposed entry of Walmart to South Africa via the takeover of Massmart was due to be heard this week by the Competition Tribunal.
The global coalition of unions opposed to the merger–South Africa Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU), UNI Global Union, and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) of North America–came to the hearing ready to proceed today.
The South African Government then applied for a postponement in order to present evidence to challenge the economic evidence of the companies.
The Tribunal issued a ruling which would have essentially made a fair process impossible. The government would have been allowed to present its evidence in the future, but the unions would not be allowed to see or use this evidence before going forward today.
SACCAWU protested this unfair decision and asked for the hearing to be suspended while the decision was under appeal.
In a dramatic reversal, the Tribunal stayed the entire case until May 9.
“”It is only fair that all evidence be on the table before we go forward,” said Christy Hoffman, Deputy Secretary of UNI Global Union. “It was the best outcome in a difficult situation.”
“”It is paramount that a decision of this magnitude—whether to give a giant like Walmart access to the South African economy—is made with care and through due process,” said Michael Bride of UFCW. “While today’s decision was far from perfect, we applaud the Tribunal for creating a fairer process in the end.”
March 1, 2011
MAJOR WORKER ORGANIZATIONS URGE SUPREME COURT TO UPHOLD CIVIL RIGHTS AND WORKERS
Washington, DC – The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), AFL-CIO, and Change to Win have filed a joint amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the plaintiffs in the Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., sex discrimination case. The full brief can be found here.
A joint statement follows:
“For more than 45 years, American workers have sought protection from the courts for equal treatment in the workplace. Workers have joined together to remedy widespread discriminatory workplace practices through class action proceedings and by applying the nation’s civil rights standards to their workplaces. Today, Walmart is attempting to undo that standard by claiming its female associates have no right to appeal for justice as a class.
In our amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, we ask the court to uphold the fundamental pillar of the Civil Rights Act and to ensure that the class action process remains open to workers in all industries.
Walmart is not too big for justice. No employer should be beyond justice for its workers. Workers must have a voice in the legal process. The cost to Walmart if it loses the suit would be a fair recompensation for billions of dollars in lost wages and benefits owed to female employees who have lost opportunities as a result of Walmart’s discriminatory actions.
With more than 1.4 million associates nationwide, Walmart has single-handedly transformed the American economy by setting workplace standards by which all other retailers and employers are forced to compete. Because Walmart’s employment practices are so influential, its female associates must be allowed to have their day in court. We congratulate the brave women who initiated this complaint and who seek to create a Walmart workplace that treats all associates equally.”
To read the amicus brief, click here. For more information on the Dukes v. Walmart Stores case, visit www.walmartclass.com