Human Rights Watch: WALMART!
Rokhsanna Sadeghi
Just FYI because I know we're all quite busy these days and don't get
to hear about what's going on outside Upstate as much as we would
like.
HRW put out a 200+ page report today noting Walmart's Human Rights
Abuses. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/05/01/usdom15797_txt.htm
"Human Rights Watch found that Wal-Mart heightens this fear with its
arsenal of unlawful anti-union tactics. Wal-Mart has sent managers to
eavesdrop on employees. According to former workers and managers at
one store, it has even ordered the repositioning of surveillance
cameras to monitor union supporters. It has told workers they will
lose benefits if they organize. The company has discriminatorily
banned talk about unions and prohibited union flyer distribution,
while allowing discussion of other issues and circulation of non-union
materials. It has disciplined union supporters for policy violations
that it has let slide for union opponents. And it has illegally fired
workers for their union activity."
"As the world's largest company, Wal-Mart's conduct is especially
troubling. Wal-Mart had $351.14 billion in revenue and $11.3 billion
in profits in the fiscal year ending January 2007. It is the largest
private US employer, with more than 1.3 million US workers and close
to 4,000 stores nationwide. None of those workers is represented by a
union. Human Rights Watch found that this is no accident."
Some of this info in unbelievable. I guess Walmart would have cameras
to watch workers who were found to be pro-union. Check it out if you
have a minute.
-Rokhsanna