Wal-Mart workers allege layoffs, store closings were retaliatory

[jamesrage]

It does seem suspicious that they would close 5 stores for 6 months for plumbing problems.


Wal-Mart workers allege layoffs, store closings were retaliatory
Wal-Mart workers are fighting back against the retailer's decision last week to close five stores in four states for what the company says are plumbing repairs.
Workers at the company's Pico Rivera, Calif. store who are associated with OUR Walmart, a group that advocates for better pay, say the closings are "retaliatory" in nature. They filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday, claiming that the termination of more than 500 employees at the Pico Rivera Walmart constituted an unfair labor practice.
Last week, the retail giant, which employs 1.3 million workers at 4,500 stores in the United States, temporarily closed five stores--two in Texas and one each in California, Florida, and Oklahoma--for six months of plumbing repairs. The stores closed at 7 p.m. on April 13, which gave workers just a few hours notice that they were losing their jobs. The company provided two months of paid leave for both full-time and part-time workers. Employees could try to transfer to a different Walmart location during that time. Full-time workers who fail to find another Walmart job are eligible for severance starting June 19, but part-time workers aren't entitled to that benefit.

snip....


The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which backs OUR Walmart, is listed as the filing party on the NLRB complaint, which claims that Wal-Mart targeted the Pico Rivera store because it has been "the center of concerted action by [workers] to improve wages and working conditions for all Walmart [workers] around the country." The Pico Rivera store was the site of OUR Walmart’s first strike in 2012; workers at that location have participated in strikes and civil disobedience ever since.
Wal-Mart's rationale for closing the Pico Rivera store--that it must undergo extensive plumbing repairs--is a farce, the complaint says. "City officials in Pico Rivera say that nothing has been brought to their attention and no permits at all have been sought for any work," according to the complaint. Wal-Mart temporarily shuttered the other four stores due to plumbing as a way to "mask" the retaliatory nature of the Pico Rivera closing, the complaint says. The filing asks the NLRB for injunctive relief and to compel Wal-Mart to rehire the 2,200 workers who have been terminated at all five stores.
The company did not immediately return a request for comment on the complaint with the NLRB.

 

[OrphanSlug]

Non-provable.

 

[TheDemSocialist]

Non-provable.

Actually it is. One of the whole reasons we have the National Labor Relations Board

 

[OrphanSlug]

Actually it is. One of the whole reasons we have the National Labor Relations Board

Then prove that is what they did.

 

[jamesrage]

Non-provable.

Do these walmarts have the permits for the plumbing work and why would it it take six months for plumbing? I do not know about the walmarts in other states but I do know that the walmart closed in Tulsa was built only around 20 years ago.The store was built from the ground up instead of a remodel or expansion of an existing store. I can't picture plumbing work back then being so shotty it would warrant closing the store for six months.Nor can I imagine it taking 6 months to fix plumbing problems.

 

[TheDemSocialist]

Then prove that is what they did.

I cant prove it. Dont know enough information about it. But to say its, "Non-provable" is probably wrong. United Food and Commercial Workers International Union who filed the charges seems to believe there is enough information that they can prove in a case, why the whole reason they filed the charges. A walmart spokesperson even said it was strange and not typical for Walmart to take these actions. And I mean, Walmart has even lost lawusits taking similar actions: Labor Group Seeks Rehiring of Workers at 5 Wal-Mart Sites - US News

 

[Blemonds]

How can anyone complain about a paid two month vacation?

 

[Hatuey]

Then prove that is what they did.

I'd say the suddenness of the repairs is pretty damning. We have a HO in London. I've gotten e-mails 3 months in advance telling me that the office won't be opened on certain days and I've been to the HO exactly 2 times in 2 years. I spent a grand total of 45 mins there. You're telling me that these workers were only notified of 6 months worth of repairs hours before AND while they were in the process of unionizing? I know mom and pop stores that give 3 weeks advance notice of repairs. C'man.

I think they could prove that Walmart acted wrongfully by showing when the company began scheduling these 6 month repairs. They also should investigate the level of repairs done and consult with other plumbers and whether there was any need to have them in the first place. It doesn't look good for Walmart. However, union busting is becoming the new fad.

 

[Lutherf]

There better be a whole lot more proof than "nobody requested a permit yet".

I've had experience with the NLRB and they are bullies, plain and simple.

 

[donsutherland1]

Non-provable.

I make no judgments on the merits of the complaint, but such a complaint itself would be far from "non-provable." The NLRB could seek documents, electronic communications, and interviews with key personnel. That discovery process could yield evidence as to whether the complaint has merit or lacks it.

 

[humbolt]

Do these walmarts have the permits for the plumbing work and why would it it take six months for plumbing? I do not know about the walmarts in other states but I do know that the walmart closed in Tulsa was built only around 20 years ago.The store was built from the ground up instead of a remodel or expansion of an existing store. I can't picture plumbing work back then being so shotty it would warrant closing the store for six months.Nor can I imagine it taking 6 months to fix plumbing problems.

I dunno, but considering the Keystone Pipeline plumbing delays, I think 6 months is perfectly acceptable for plumbing these days.

 

[Beetle]

Let us, for a moment, assume Walmart would simply like to rid itself of a particularly troublesome store and without bringing down the wrath of a government agency that was, at one time, dedicated to driving the American aircraft industry out of the country.

Simple enough.

Propose a huge rebuild of the plumbing in the affected buildings. File very detailed plans, ensuring that some element of them would require a complete environmental review.

Presto.

Problem gone.

The official bureaucracy would take so long to process the paperwork that none of the present laid-off workers would have not died of natural causes before any work toward someday reopening could even begin.

Let bureaucracy eat its own!

 

[jimbo]

Being a person who does not believe much in coincidence, it seems highly improbable that several stores in several locations suddenly developed similar problems that require a six month closing. Being a person who does not believe that the largest retailer in the world has an executive force that is dumb enough to attempt a bluff of this magnitude, I doubt that this story was dreamed up by Walmart.

What I have not seen mentioned in conjunction with this story is the possibility of sabotage.

A few gallons of concrete dumped in a few toilets could cause a problem requiring 6 months repair.

JMO

 

[jamesrage]

There better be a whole lot more proof than "nobody requested a permit yet".

I've had experience with the NLRB and they are bullies, plain and simple.

I do not know about the other stores but as of yet there are no plumbing and building permits in the Tulsa store on admiral and memorial. Closings do not happen over night, They take planning.So they had plenty of time to get the permits needed.
Permit

 

[jamesrage]

I dunno, but considering the Keystone Pipeline plumbing delays, I think 6 months is perfectly acceptable for plumbing these days.

The keystone XL is a pipeline covering thousands of miles that stretches from Canada to Texas and it has eminent domain and environmental concerns that is keeping it from being built.And we have a President who caters to his envirowacko base. Once we get a republican president that president will have is lips firmly planted on TransCanada's testicles and ignore their property rights voter base of the republican party and okay the Keystone XL. It has nothing to do with Walmart's alleged plumbing problems.

3 of those walmarts are in conservative states and at least one of those in a city with a republican mayor, so there should be no issue getting the necessary permits.

 

[humbolt]

The keystone XL is a pipeline covering thousands of miles that stretches from Canada to Texas and it has eminent domain and environmental concerns that is keeping it from being built.And we have a President who caters to his envirowacko base. Once we get a republican president that president will have is lips firmly planted on TransCanada's testicles and ignore their property rights voter base of the republican party and okay the Keystone XL. It has nothing to do with Walmart's alleged plumbing problems.

3 of those walmarts are in conservative states and at least one of those in a city with a republican mayor, so there should be no issue getting the necessary permits.

Ah well. Damn those contractors, anyway. I don't expect Canada is too anxious for the pipeline to be built now, anyway. They have other options. I'm not sure what the political affiliation would have to do with construction permits, but I'll take your word for it that republicans have the ability to streamline that process, whereas democrats don't.

 

[eohrnberger]

Actually it is. One of the whole reasons we have the National Labor Relations Board

I thought Obama had packed the NLRB full of pro-union hacks.

There better be a whole lot more proof than "nobody requested a permit yet".

I've had experience with the NLRB and they are bullies, plain and simple.

Yeah, I can imagine, especially now if Obama did what I think he did. Must be part of Obama's 'transformation of America' he wanted so much = government bullying of anyone who disagrees with him.

 

[Blemonds]

Being a person who does not believe much in coincidence, it seems highly improbable that several stores in several locations suddenly developed similar problems that require a six month closing. Being a person who does not believe that the largest retailer in the world has an executive force that is dumb enough to attempt a bluff of this magnitude, I doubt that this story was dreamed up by Walmart.

What I have not seen mentioned in conjunction with this story is the possibility of sabotage.

A few gallons of concrete dumped in a few toilets could cause a problem requiring 6 months repair.

JMO

The problems aren't sudden but rather ongoing. It's only the closings that are sudden

 

[Blemonds]

I do not know about the other stores but as of yet there are no plumbing and building permits in the Tulsa store on admiral and memorial. Closings do not happen over night, They take planning.So they had plenty of time to get the permits needed.
Permit

I've never heard of a permit being required to conduct plumbing repairs

 

[TheDemSocialist]

I thought Obama had packed the NLRB full of pro-union hacks.

Na it was established in 1935 to ensure that employees are not being unfairly treated, and to ensure that employers are held accountable. Long before Obama had anything to do with appointments.

 

[Blemonds]

Na it was established in 1935 to ensure that employees are not being unfairly treated, and to ensure that employers are held accountable. Long before Obama had anything to do with appointments.

Walmart is beng more than fair to these employees, 2 months paid vacation and opportunities to transfer to other stores. The smart move would be to get in line for one of those transfers as soon as possible

 

[eohrnberger]

Na it was established in 1935 to ensure that employees are not being unfairly treated, and to ensure that employers are held accountable. Long before Obama had anything to do with appointments.

True, the NLRB was established back then, however, with recent Obama administration appointments, yeah, I think he has, or at least he's tried, to pack the NLRB with pro-union hacks.

Yeah, thought so.

• Obama Loses On NLRB Recess Appointments, But Employers Unlikely To Win - Forbes
• Obama's NLRB Recess Appointments Deemed Unconstitutional: >100 Decisions Impacted - Forbes
• Obama Recess Appointments Case - Business Insider

Also seems that his recess appointments were considered unconstitutional, another example of how much this supposed constitutional scholar and professor follows the constitution. You'd think he'd know better.

 

[TheDemSocialist]

True, the NLRB was established back then, however, with recent Obama administration appointments, yeah, I think he has, or at least he's tried, to pack the NLRB with pro-union hacks.

Yeah, thought so.

• Obama Loses On NLRB Recess Appointments, But Employers Unlikely To Win - Forbes
• Obama's NLRB Recess Appointments Deemed Unconstitutional: >100 Decisions Impacted - Forbes
• Obama Recess Appointments Case - Business Insider

So to show how "pro-labor" they are you find links where decisions that may of been considered "pro-labor" were overturned? What exactly are you trying to prove?

Also seems that his recess appointments were considered unconstitutional, another example of how much this supposed constitutional scholar and professor follows the constitution. You'd think he'd know better.

The Supreme Court finding decisions made by or promoted by Presidents is not rare with only Obama bud.... A guarantee you, you can find many rulings where the supreme court found policeis promoted or implemented by a president were struck down for all presidents

 

[TheDemSocialist]

Walmart is beng more than fair to these employees, 2 months paid vacation and opportunities to transfer to other stores. The smart move would be to get in line for one of those transfers as soon as possible

Ahhh yes. So "fair". "Oops bad plumbing in 5 stores randomly. Looks like we need to close them all, give em 2 months of paid vacation, maybe rehire a couple, or transfer some to another store, here is 2 months paid leave..". Oh yea also dont mind that they only gave the employees a few hour notice, and I guess it just so happens that these workers were the ones involved in pro-union organizing, and its also not like Walmart has a history of doing this.. Real "fair".

 

[Lutherf]

I do not know about the other stores but as of yet there are no plumbing and building permits in the Tulsa store on admiral and memorial. Closings do not happen over night, They take planning.So they had plenty of time to get the permits needed.
Permit

I don't know how the permit process works in Oklahoma but out here they generally want to see plans before issuing the permit. If the plans aren't ready yet and the contractor hasn't been selected then I figure it's reasonable to assume that no permit has been requested yet. Furthermore, if the plumbing problems were deemed to be critical (ie. fire suppression system) then it would make sense to close the store even before the plans were submitted for permitting.