Cornwall ON – Could a Union be coming to the Walmart store in Cornwall Ontario? We’ve received reports and rumblings about a possible attempt to unionize the store in the city of 46,000 on the St. Lawrence River.
Walmart in Canada is notorious in Canada for fighting off any unionization attempts. A store in Quebec that was successful in Unionizing was shut down.
Missives to local UFCW rep Daniel Mercier, and Walmart management have yet to be returned.
Cornwall which is going through a boom economically; even through a world wide recession actually is starting to feel the impact of a good quality employee shortage as companies like Star Tek, Teleperformance, the new Scotia Bank call centre, SCM, Olymel, and others vie for workers.
Renowned for its bilingual and skilled workforce some companies are starting to bus employees in from nearby Valleyfield Quebec as more and more people move to the city as wages inch up, and jobs create opportunity.
We reached City Councilor Elaine Macdonald who had the following to say:
A Job is the absolute minimum requirement to feel good about ones self. When employers have to compete for workers it’s good for employment.
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Why would you post this? Now it definitely won’t happen.. If you’re going to attempt to unionize, shut your mouth about it until it’s done.. now this puts Walmart in the precarious position of pulling out, which they may possibly do just as in Quebec.. how will that affect Cornwall? Oh wait, now other business’ can compete again, for now anyways, until all the other big box stores come in.. Either or Walmart will rid themselves of any current employee that wants to unionize and get new employees that won’t necessarily attempt to unionize..
The Union will be good for local business. People will need somewhere to shop after the place closes.
They’d be voting themselves out of a job. Really…what would a union bring to Walmart other than lost wages to union fees? Man they’re greedy.
Walmart’s business model depends on efficient distribution and cheap labour, at home and abroad, unions are not part of the equation nor are they relevant in todays work landscape
Don’t forget SCM is also Wal-mart, want Wal-mart to pull out SCM if they try to unionize as well?
As much as I don’t like big box stores, you have to admit, if wal-mart and SCM pull out of the area, Cornwall is pretty well screwed…
It’ll be back to small stores, higher prices, but more expertise on the product sold, which is a good thing.. but again, only until other big box stores come in..
BTW since the HWY 401 site was shot down, the WalMart plan is to super-size at its current location and takeover everything except the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Tim’s and the Kelsey’s.
Also the Circle Square (North American Development), which can’t find a good anchor store, will be pretty much dead in the water when that happens (unless they pick up the displaced tenants). Although its been a nice scam in the meantime, getting Domtar off the hook by sending the creosote and asbestos contaminated soil and demolition material, from their 7th Street No-Corode site, over to Big Ben.
Also, are the fire-trap drop sheets (instead of permanent repairs) hanging from the Independent Grocer ceiling, an indication that the much delayed major commercial expansion of that whole shopping site is coming soon? (And why does the fire department allow a thousand square feet of plastic to be wrapped around electrical conduits and hot light fixtures and such?)
Walmart has a union in different locations in Canada now, and many countries around the world including China. They can not afford the incredible world wide attention and damage to their reputation they received from closing the Jonquiere Quebec location. Walmart is listed on the Human Rights website as an abusive employer that doesn’t respect basic human rights.
People are not fooled by their bully tactics any longer. The Walton family (children of Sam Walton…Walmarts founder) are the richest family in the United States with personal wealth between them of over 80 Billion dollars. The people who work in the stores are just trying to provide the basics of life for their families.
Walmart can start to respect Canada and Canadian sense of fairness or as far as I am concerned it can pack its bags and go back to Bentonville.