For Second Time This Month, Wal-Mart Associates Reject UFCW
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 25, 2005, -- For a second time this month, Wal-Mart associates have voted against union representation. In an election held today at the Loveland, Colorado store, 18 associates who work in the Tire and Lube Express department cast their votes in a democratic, secret-ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.
Today’s news comes just two weeks following a February 11 announcement regarding a similar election held in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Tire and Lube Express associates there voted unanimously 17-0 to reject the UFCW after the union spent more than four years attempting to organize the associates in the New Castle store. Today’s vote in Loveland resulted in 17 votes for the associates and Wal-Mart and only 1 vote for the UFCW. Over the last 2 weeks, 34 Tire and Lube Express associates have voted to reject the union.
“The UFCW has tried to organize our associates for years,” said Terry Srsen, vice president of labor relations for Wal-Mart. “However, many of our associates are former union members -- they know better than anyone that the only guarantee a union can make is that it will cost the members money -- and that is why they continue to reject the UFCW.”
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM’S CLUB locations in the United States. Internationally, the company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company’s securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com.
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