walmart and ufcw case study

Law in the Labor Movement's Challenge to Wal-Mart: A Case Study of the Inglewood Site Fight

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Supreme Court of Canada

Walmart Worker Protests Spread Globally

December 14, 2012 Updated: August 24, 2020

Workers in 10 Countries Call for an End to the Silencing of Workers at Walmart

OUR Walmart and Community Supporters Commit to Continued Protests in 2013 

Follow the conversation and see photos on Twitter: #WalmartStrikers and @ForRespect and @ChangeWalmart

At the protests across the globe, workers held a moment of silence to honor the victims of the factory fire in Bangladesh that tragically claimed the lives of 112 workers. Recent reports show that Walmart “played a leading role in blocking an effort” to improve electrical and fire safety systems in factories in the country.

“Walmart must stop its attempts to silence those who speak out.  We are standing up for what is right for our families and the global economy,” said Elaine Rozie, an OUR Walmart member from the Hialeah store in Miami Gardens, Fl.  Rozie is a seven-year associate who despite works full-time at Walmart still has to depend on public assistance to make ends meet. “As the largest retailer in the world, Walmart should be setting a standard for good, safe jobs. The benefits of having steady, well-trained workers in stores and along the supply chain will help Walmart improve customer service ratings and its reputation, which is good business.”

“We are inspired by OUR Walmart members who are standing up for a better future for all of our families,” said Louisa Plaatjies, a worker from South Africa. In October, workers from seven countries – where workers all have union representation – launched the UNI Walmart Global Union Alliance to fight for fairness, decent working conditions, and the fundamental human right of freedom of association.  “We are will continue to stand up with our brothers and sisters in the United States until Walmart starts listening to the workers that keep the store running.”

The global protests held today build on the ongoing calls for change at Walmart. In November, community members and Walmart workers held more than 1,000 demonstrations, including strikes in 100 cities, during the Black Friday shopping rush in protest of the company’s illegal attempts to silence workers for speaking out about the company’s manipulation of hours and benefits, efforts to try to keep people from working full-time and its discrimination against women and people of color.  The Black Friday strike wave came a little more than a month after OUR Walmart leaders held the first-ever strikes against the mega-retailer. In just one year, OUR Walmart has grown from a group of 100 Walmart workers to an army of thousands of Associates across 43 states.

“The Walmart workers may come from different cultures and continents but they are united in their opposition to Walmart’s cynical and systematic squeezing of its employees to maximize profit, be it the US dollar, the South African rand, the Indian rupee, the Argentine peso or any other currency,” said the International UNI Global Union General Secretary, Philip Jennings. “Walmart has gone too far. US Walmart workers have had enough and they are fighting back as we saw on Black Friday and every day since. The Alliance is standing with them not just in solidarity but in strength and in action.”

Workers like Jesus Vargas, who have been illegally fired, targeted by management or other retaliation for speaking out, are also raising their voices.  More than 30 federal charges against Walmart have already been filed, with another 60 allegations against Walmart’s illegal threats currently under investigation.

“Walmart, we will not be silenced,” Vargas said. Vargas, who was unjustly fired for speaking out at his store in California, has filed a federal charge against Walmart. “We are coming together to be heard and to create good jobs that workers in America and across the globe need.”

With so many Americans struggling to make ends meet and Walmart taking in $16 billion in profits and compensating its executives $10 million each, workers and community leaders have been calling on Walmart and Chairman Rob Walton to address the wage gap the company is creating.  At the same time frontline Walmart workers are facing financial hardships, the  Walton Family  – heirs to the Walmart fortune – are the richest family in the country with more wealth than the bottom 42% of American families combined.

Workers’ concerns about wages and staffing have been affirmed by newly  uncovered company pay-plans  exposed by the Huffington Post, recent poor sales reports and a new study on wage trends in the retail industry. Huffington Post uncovered what reporters call “a rigid pay structure for hourly employees that makes it difficult for most to rise much beyond poverty-level wages.”  Meanwhile, last week’s sales reports show that understaffing, which affects workers’ scheduling and take-home pay, is also having an impact on company sales. Last week’s sales report showed that Walmart’s comp store sales are about half what competitors like Target reported in the same quarter, continuing a pattern of underperformance by the world’s largest retailer.

As workers and community supporters call for changes at Walmart, a new report by the national public policy center Demos, shows that better jobs at Walmart and other large retailers would have an impact on our economy . A wage floor equivalent of $25,000 per year for a full-time, year-round employee for retailers with more than 1000 employees would lift 1.5 million retail workers and their families out of poverty or near poverty, add to economic growth, increase retail sales and create more than 100,000 new jobs. The findings in the study prove there is a flaw in the conventional thinking by companies like Walmart that profits, low prices, and decent wages cannot coexist.

Making Change at Walmart is a campaign challenging Walmart to help rebuild our economy and strengthen working families. Anchored by the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), Making Change at Walmart is a coalition of Walmart associates, union members, small business owners, religious leaders, community organizations, women’s advocacy groups, multi-ethnic coalitions, elected officials and ordinary citizens who believe that changing Walmart is vital for the future of our country.

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Labor Relations in the United States: A Comprehensive Analysis

Case Incident Walmart and the UFCW In November 2003 Walmart opened...

Case Incident Walmart and the UFCW In November 2003 Walmart opened a new store in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Soon afterwards, employees contacted the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) seeking representation. In April 2004, the union filed an application with the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board to represent these employees. The application to represent is an application for certification, the details of which are referred to in Chapter 6. This filing was the start of a legal battle that lasted until 2013.

The union sought an order from the Board to require Walmart to produce documents. It was alleged that Walmart had provided managers with materials that showed Walmart was guilty of illegal practices, including a document titled "A Manager's Toolbox to Remain Union Free." The Board ordered Walmart to produce records and Walmart appealed this decision. On the appeal, a lower court judge quashed the subpoena and in the decision appeared to suggest that the Board was biased in favour of unions.

Subsequently there were numerous comments on the situation in the media, some of which were critical of the Labour Relations Board and the provisions of the Trade Union Act that allowed a union to be certified without an employee vote. There were calls for amendments to the legislation and changes at the Board. Some critics alleged that union contributions to the NDP party, which was in power at the time, made change unlikely.

The Court of Appeal overturned the lower court decision and ordered Walmart to produce the documentation. The Court of Appeal also indicated that the lower court's concerns regarding a possible bias in favour of unions by the Labour Relations Board were unfounded. Walmart attempted to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court of Canada, and this further delayed the certification application.

While the Weyburn battle raged, there was a related development in Quebec. In February 2005, Walmart announced that it would close a store in Jonquière, Quebec, which had been unionized for four months. Labour activists claimed that this closing was intended to send a message to employees in Weyburn and elsewhere in North America about the negative consequences of seeking unionization. The president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour referred to "economic terrorism" against Canadian workers.

In April 2005, one full year after the original application for certification, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to grant Walmart leave to appeal, and the certification process continued. Walmart filed an application to block the Labour Relations Board from hearing the application, alleging the Board was biased; however, a court decision rejected that application.

Through this process, Walmart stated that it respected "the individual rights of our associates and encourage them to express their ideas, comments and concerns. Because we believe in maintaining an open environment of open communications, we do not believe there is a need for third-party representation." Walmart had some supporters in the ongoing battle. One newspaper commentary provided as follows: "This province's unions are aggressive by nature, helped along by labour laws that favour unions far more than business, something that has been used by businesses as a clear illustration as to why companies avoid coming to Saskatchewan. . . . Presumably the union has jobs for the approximately 3,500 to 4,000 employees who would be put out of work if Wal-Mart . . . walked. Wal-Mart is a huge player in Saskatchewan. It provides hundreds of employees with jobs. It pays taxes. It is possibly the most popular retail outfit in the province. To lose something like that would be a major blow to the province's economy and employment levels not to mention the government's open for business slogan it shops around the country."

In a 2007 provincial election, the NDP government was defeated by the Saskatchewan Party. In March 2008, the new government ended the term of the chair of the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board, who had been dealing with the UFCW certification application, and in May 2008 amendments to the Trade Union Act that required a vote on certification applications came into effect. The chair of the Board continued to deal with the Weyburn application, asserting he had the authority to finish applications started before his term was ended, on the basis of the law as it was at the time. In December 2008, a certification order was granted. In 2009, Walmart challenged the certification in court on the basis that the chair did not have jurisdiction and that the amendments to the Trade Union Act required a vote. In June 2009, a lower court overturned the certification. Subsequently, the union indicated that it would be appealing the decision.

In July 2009, Walmart filed an application for a court injunction to restrict the activity of a union website critical of the company. UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley responded, "This injunction request is an over the top assault on effective freedom of speech. . . . It's a kneejerk response by Walmart to the idea of its employees trying to understand their options as workers are trying to share experiences with other 'associates'. Walmart's response to the success of www.walmartworkerscanada.ca is just another outrageous example of how the largest retailer in the history of the world will use its bottomless legal budget to manipulate the collective bargaining process and do just about anything to discourage its 'associates' from joining the union."

In August 2013, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board made the decision to decertify the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which had been unsuccessful in its attempts to negotiate a collective agreement with the retail giant. Employees at the Weyburn store had voted to remove the union by a margin of 51-5.

Questions 1. Identify the employer's labour relations strategy and explain possible reasons for this approach.

2. Outline the environmental factors in Chapter 2 that affect this situation.

3. In the light of the Supreme Court of Canada decision (June 2014) involving Walmart and a Quebec store closure in 2005, how might the company's labour relations strategies be modified?

Answer & Explanation

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The Ongoing Legal Battle Between Wal-Mart and the UFCW in Saskatchewan and Quebec

Background and start of the legal battle.

Wal-Mart and the UFCW case study only 4% final grade

in November 2003 Wal-Mart opened a new store in Weyburn,

Saskatchewan. Soon after the store opened employees contacted

the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) seeking

union representation. In April of 2004 the union filed an application

with the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board to represent the

store's employees. The union application to represent employees

is an application for certification and the details of this process are

referred to in Chapter 6. The application for certification was the

start of a legal battle that was ongoing in 2010.

The union sought an order from the Board to require Wal-Mart to

produce documents. It was alleged that Wal-Mart had provided

managers with materialsthat showed Wai-Mart was guilty of illegal

practices including "A Manager's Toolbox to Remain Union Free".

The Board ordered Wal- Mart to produce documentation and WalMart

appealed this decision. On the appeal a lower court judge

quashed the subpoena and in his decision appeared to suggest

that the Board was biased in favour of unions. Subsequently there

were numerous comments on the situation in the media some of

which were critical of the Labour Relations Board and the

provisions of the Trade Union Act that allowed a union to be

certified without an employee vote. There were calls for

amendments to the legislation and changes at the Board. Some

critics alleged that union contributions to the NDP party which was

in power at the time made change unlikely. The Court of Appeal

overturned the lower court decision and ordered Wai-Mart to

produce the documentation. The Court of Appeal also indicated

that the lower court's concerns regarding a possible bias in favour of unions by tl1e Labour Relations Board were unfounded. Wal

Mart attempted to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court of

Canada, and this further delayed the certification application. While

the Weyburn battle waged on, there w as a related development in

Quebec. In February 2005, Wal-Mart announced that it would

close a store in Jonquiere Quebec, which had been unionized for

four months. Labour activists claimed mat this closing was

intended to send a message to employees in Weyburn and

elsewhere in North America about the negative consequences of

seeking unionization. The president of the Saskatchewan

Federation of Labour referred to "economic terrorism" against

Canadian workers. In April 2005, one full year after the original

application for certification, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to grant Wal-Mart leave to appeal and tl1e certification process

Legal Challenges and Media Criticism

continued. Wal-Mart filed an application to block the Labour

Relations Board from hearing the application alleging the Board

was biased; however, a court decision rejected that application.

Through tilis process, a Wal-Mart website stated that the company

respects "the individual rights of our associates and encourage

them to express their ideas, comments and concerns. Because we

believe in maintaining an open environment of open

communications, we do not believe

mere is a need for third-party representation". Wal-Mart had some

supporters in the ongoing battle with the union. O ne newspaper

commentary provided as follows: "This province's unions are

aggressive by nature, helped along by labour laws that favour

unions far more than business, some- thing that has been used by

businesses as a clear illustration as to why companies avoid

coming to Saskatchewan ... Presumabl)' the union has jobs for the

approximately 3500 to 4000 employees who would be put out of

work if Wal-Mart ... walked. Wal-Mart is a huge player in

Saskatchewan. It provides hundreds of employees with jobs. It

pays taxes. It is possibly the most popular retail outfit in the

province. To lose something like that would be a major blow to the

province's economy and employment levels not to mention the

government's open for business slogan it shops around the

In a 2007 provincial election, the NDP government was defeated

by the Saskatchewan Party. In March of 2008 the new government ended the term of the chair of the Saskatchewan Labour Relations

Board who had been dealing with the UFCW certification

application. In May of 2008 amendments to the Trade Union A ct

that required a vote on certification applications came into effect.

The chair of the Board continued to deal with the Weyburn

application asserting that he had the authority to finish applications

started before his term was ended on tile basis of the law as it was

at the time of the application. In December of 2008 a certification

order was granted. In 2009 Wal-Mart challenged the certification in

court on the basis that the chair did not have jurisdiction and that

the amendments to the Trade Union Act required a vote. In June of

2009 a lower court overturned the certification. Subsequently the

union indicated that it would be appealing the decision. In July of

2009 Wai-Mart filed an application for a court injunction to restrict

the activity of a union website critical of the company. UFCW

Canada National President Wayne Hanley responded saying "

This injunction rec1uest is an over the top assault on effective freedom of speech . . . It's a kneejerk response by Walmart to the

idea of its employees trying to understand their options as workers,

and trying to share experiences with other 'associates'. Walmart's

response to the success of www.walmartworkerscanada.ca is

just another outrageous example of how tile largest retailer in the

history of the world will use its bottom less legal budget to

manipulate tile collective bargaining process and do just about

anything to discourage its 'associates' from joining the union."

1. Identify the employer's labour relations strategy, and explain

possible reasons for this strategy.

2. Outline the environmental factors referred to in Chapter 2

affecting this situation

Picture this - You have bought a shiny new gadget. You cannot make heads or tails of how to operate

Dissertations are a very important part of the lives of youngsters or future researchers pursuing h

Any multi-chaptered content will have a table of contents in the first few pages. Imagine if there

Dissertation acknowledgments are the standing ovation to those individuals who supported you during

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Mostly just Walmart stuff.

Case Study Assignment help ?

Hello everyone i am a student and need help with a case study assignment about WALMART. The first part is about why walmart performed good in some countries and not in other countries(we have compared germany and mexico). The second part is about Walmart after going online (walmart.com) and this is where I need your HELP for now i have only added this graph showing the annual revenue after online business, Can you guys give me sources or links to websites where i could find relevant data. And also give me some more ideas what to add ?

Wal-Mart and the UFCW case study

Wal-Mart and the UFCW case study only 4% final grade

in November 2003 Wal-Mart opened a new store in Weyburn,

Saskatchewan. Soon after the store opened employees contacted

the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) seeking

union representation. In April of 2004 the union filed an application

with the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board to represent the

store’s employees. The union application to represent employees

is an application for certification and the details of this process are

referred to in Chapter 6. The application for certification was the

start of a legal battle that was ongoing in 2010.

The union sought an order from the Board to require Wal-Mart to

produce documents. It was alleged that Wal-Mart had provided

managers with materialsthat showed Wai-Mart was guilty of illegal

practices including “A Manager’s Toolbox to Remain Union Free”.

The Board ordered Wal- Mart to produce documentation and WalMart

appealed this decision. On the appeal a lower court judge

quashed the subpoena and in his decision appeared to suggest

that the Board was biased in favour of unions. Subsequently there

were numerous comments on the situation in the media some of

which were critical of the Labour Relations Board and the

provisions of the Trade Union Act that allowed a union to be

certified without an employee vote. There were calls for

amendments to the legislation and changes at the Board. Some

critics alleged that union contributions to the NDP party which was

in power at the time made change unlikely. The Court of Appeal

overturned the lower court decision and ordered Wai-Mart to

produce the documentation. The Court of Appeal also indicated

that the lower court’s concerns regarding a possible bias in favour of unions by tl1e Labour Relations Board were unfounded. Wal

Mart attempted to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court of

Canada, and this further delayed the certification application. While

the Weyburn battle waged on, there w as a related development in

Quebec. In February 2005, Wal-Mart announced that it would

close a store in Jonquiere Quebec, which had been unionized for

four months. Labour activists claimed mat this closing was

intended to send a message to employees in Weyburn and

elsewhere in North America about the negative consequences of

seeking unionization. The president of the Saskatchewan

Federation of Labour referred to “economic terrorism” against

Canadian workers. In April 2005, one full year after the original

application for certification, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to grant Wal-Mart leave to appeal and tl1e certification process

continued. Wal-Mart filed an application to block the Labour

Relations Board from hearing the application alleging the Board

was biased; however, a court decision rejected that application.

Through tilis process, a Wal-Mart website stated that the company

respects “the individual rights of our associates and encourage

them to express their ideas, comments and concerns. Because we

believe in maintaining an open environment of open

communications, we do not believe

mere is a need for third-party representation”. Wal-Mart had some

supporters in the ongoing battle with the union. O ne newspaper

commentary provided as follows: “This province’s unions are

aggressive by nature, helped along by labour laws that favour

unions far more than business, some- thing that has been used by

businesses as a clear illustration as to why companies avoid

coming to Saskatchewan … Presumabl)’ the union has jobs for the

approximately 3500 to 4000 employees who would be put out of

work if Wal-Mart … walked. Wal-Mart is a huge player in

Saskatchewan. It provides hundreds of employees with jobs. It

pays taxes. It is possibly the most popular retail outfit in the

province. To lose something like that would be a major blow to the

province’s economy and employment levels not to mention the

government’s open for business slogan it shops around the

country.”

In a 2007 provincial election, the NDP government was defeated

by the Saskatchewan Party. In March of 2008 the new government ended the term of the chair of the Saskatchewan Labour Relations

Board who had been dealing with the UFCW certification

application. In May of 2008 amendments to the Trade Union A ct

that required a vote on certification applications came into effect.

The chair of the Board continued to deal with the Weyburn

application asserting that he had the authority to finish applications

started before his term was ended on tile basis of the law as it was

at the time of the application. In December of 2008 a certification

order was granted. In 2009 Wal-Mart challenged the certification in

court on the basis that the chair did not have jurisdiction and that

the amendments to the Trade Union Act required a vote. In June of

2009 a lower court overturned the certification. Subsequently the

union indicated that it would be appealing the decision. In July of

2009 Wai-Mart filed an application for a court injunction to restrict

the activity of a union website critical of the company. UFCW

Canada National President Wayne Hanley responded saying “

This injunction rec1uest is an over the top assault on effective freedom of speech . . . It’s a kneejerk response by Walmart to the

idea of its employees trying to understand their options as workers,

and trying to share experiences with other ‘associates’. Walmart’s

response to the success of www.walmartworkerscanada.ca is

just another outrageous example of how tile largest retailer in the

history of the world will use its bottom less legal budget to

manipulate tile collective bargaining process and do just about

anything to discourage its ‘associates’ from joining the union.”

• Identify the employer’s labour relations strategy, and explain

possible reasons for this strategy.

• Outline the environmental factors referred to in Chapter 2

affecting this situation

How DUDE Wipes is leveraging Walmart Marketplace & WFS to disrupt the bath-tissue industry

June 17, 2024

When four college friends started a line of flushable cleansing wipes for men, they didn’t expect how quickly it’d take off—or grow through online sales channels, including Walmart Marketplace.   

In recent years, Walmart.com has seen an average of 38 million search impressions for products in the Personal Care category per day,* so it’s no surprise to us they’ve seen some big wins!  

The challenge? Shipping their own orders took time away from efforts to amplify their business. So, they looked to Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS).   

Read on to learn how DUDE Wipes has scaled from their apartment floor to Walmart’s website and stores (and, with help from WFS, isn’t slowing their roll anytime soon).   

When four college friends started a line of flushable cleansing wipes for men, they didn’t expect how quickly it’d take off—or grow through online sales channels, including Walmart Marketplace.

In recent years, Walmart.com has seen an average of 38 million search impressions for products in the Personal Care category per day,* so it’s no surprise to us they’ve seen some big wins!

The challenge? Shipping their own orders took time away from efforts to amplify their business. So, they looked to Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS).

Read on to learn how DUDE Wipes has scaled from their apartment floor to Walmart’s website and stores (and, with help from WFS, isn’t slowing their roll anytime soon).

*Walmart first-party data, Jan. 28, 2023–Oct. 21, 2023.  

Expand assortment

Ship products quickly, grow market share, “today, we have about 1% market share of the $15-billion bath tissue category. we want it to be 2% next year and 8% over the next ten years. so, we’re adding more products and continuing to deliver a better solution to customers.”, jeff klimkowski, co-founder & cfo.

BIG WINS WITH WFS

YoY increase in WFS GMV*

Yoy increase in wfs units sold*, yoy increase in 2-day delivery promise*.

The Strategy

1. Making Walmart Marketplace their testing playground

Opportunity.

Because DUDE Wipes is a unique product in the market, the team lacked insights into the types of personal care products and price points that would resonate with their demographic. This was especially important as they began to expand their assortment.

By viewing Walmart Marketplace as their “innovation lab,” the DUDE Wipes team has been able to experiment with new products, try different types of pack sizes, and, ultimately, understand what their customer wants.

2. Offering two-day shipping across the US with WFS

With just one shipping location in Chicago and limited staff, DUDE Wipes struggled to deliver fast, nationwide orders to customers while trying to scale their business.

The team began leveraging Walmart’s fulfillment program in November of 2022, and has since freed up time and resources by allowing WFS to store, pick, pack, and ship items across the US within 2 days.*

*Non-peak. Some heavy & bulky items excluded. Only standard shipping is available in non-contiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii.

WFS is not only efficient, but it’s more cost-effective than the biggest online competitor that Walmart has. We spend less on our order fulfillment through WFS than elsewhere.

Joey thomas, senior director of ecommerce, did you know walmart fulfillment services costs 15% less** than most competitors..

* *Fulfillment cost per item, on average. Walmart first-party data, December 2023-March 2024.  

3. Leaning into customized inventory recommendations

The team wanted to improve the customer experience due to the lack of inventory-level visibility when working with previous warehouse partners. If an out-of-stock item was purchased, they had to cancel the order.

Using machine-learning-based insights, WFS manages DUDE Wipes’ inventory levels and provides recommendations for when the team should send in additional items. Items are automatically de-listed until stock is available.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Let WFS take shipping and logistics management off your hands, so you can focus on testing out your products and growing your business on Walmart Marketplace.

About walmart.com.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 240 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 20 countries. With fiscal year 2023 revenue of $611 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity.

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