Wal-Mart, Congress At Center of Push to Unionize

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-wal-mart-unions-042009,0,3566359.story

Paul Herdtner Meagan Kelleher, Web Producer

April 20, 2009
The union push is on at the country's largest private sector employer. Wal-Mart has fended off the United Food and Commercial Workers before. But this time, it's a two-pronged fight.

The UFCW tried about five years ago to unionize Wal-Mart. On Monday, the company said there's more union activity at stores, as Congress considers a bill to make joining a union easier.

Unionizing the 1.4 million Wal-Mart workers would double membership of the UFCW. But shoppers at a Wal-Mart in Roeland Park were more concerned about rising prices than a growing union.

A Wal-Mart corporate spokesperson told FOX 4, "We don't think our associates have any reason to be more interested than before."

"Before" is five years ago when the UFCW tried unsuccessfully to organize. But this time, union lobbyists are also working the halls of Congress, as the House and Senate consider the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make unionizing easier not just at Wal-Mart, but everywhere.

Dave Wing is a lawyer representing management at a firm in downtown Kansas City. He would not talk specifically about Wal-Mart, but says the Employee Free Choice Act would cut out unionization votes in favor of a card signing process.

FULL story at link.

[DCKit]

1. Wall Mart's cost of doing business should high enough to make local retailers competetive. n/t