NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Auto repair shop employees at a Wal-Mart store in St- Hyacinthe, Quebec, have been granted union certification by the province's labour relations board, Canadian Press reported.
The application to certify about 10 auto repair shop employees was submitted Jan. 28, CP reported.
About 200 workers at the store 60 kilometres east of Montreal were unionized Jan. 18, CP reported. Negotiations with the company are set to begin March 16, the United Food and Commercial Workers union said in a news release, CP reported.
We are constantly working to improve the working and living conditions of Wal-Mart employees, and we will persevere," said Yvon Bellemare, president of Local 501 and the union's Quebec president, CP reported.
A wide-ranging union drive is underway in Wal-Mart stores in Quebec and several other Canadian provinces, CP reported.
Wal-Mart workers in Windsor, Ontario, voted this week against unionization, CP reported.
The only two unionized Wal-Mart stores in North America are in St-Hyacinthe and Saguenay, Que., 250 kilometres north of Quebec City, CP reported.
Last month, after Saguenay employees voted to unionize, the company announced the store would close in May citing its unprofitability, CP reported.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), the world's largest retailer, has resisted increasing pressure to accept unionized stores, CP reported.
The UFCW has been attempting to unionize workers in seven Wal-Mart auto departments in British Columbia, CP reported.
Posted by UFCW 227 at March 14, 2005 11:00 AM