7 secrets found in Walmart’s leaked anti-union playbook

This doesn’t happen every day: union-busting Walmart just got a smack down from Canada’s top court.

On Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of Quebec workers who lost their jobs back in 2005 when Walmart shut down its store in Jonquière. The anti-union retail giant suddenly closed up shop after its employees unionized and the province was preparing to appoint an arbitrator to impose afirst collective agreement.

Walmart will now have to pay compensation to about 200 employees, possibly with damages and interest. The top court found that a “reasonable employer would not close an establishment that ‘was performing very well’ and ‘whose objectives were being met’ to such an extent that bonuses were being promised.'”

Walmart, though, is the epitome of unreasonable when it comes to collective bargaining rights.

Here are seven secrets from Walmart’s long-standing union-busting playbook. The company’s training manual for managers was leaked a few years back.

1. Walmart isn’t anti-union, it’s pro-non-unionized-employees. Big distinction, people. Huge.

 2. Unions are businesses… 

…and Walmart management is the only one who has employees’ best interests at heart!

3. Early warning signs your employees could be plotting behind your back to gang up on you and… negotiate a fair wage?

4. If a union approaches you and attempts to represent you, drop everything, run to the nearest phone and call our anti-union hotline!

5. “Hey, so technically it would be illegal for me to ask about your union meeting last night, but if you wanted to grab lunch tomorrow and maybe you just happened to tell me about your union meeting without me asking, that would totally be cool.”

6. Beware! the enemy could be lurking amongst us… Everyone’s a suspect.

And since NO ONE can be trusted…

7. And remember: if you suspect someone who thinks positively about unions, you know what to do.

Photo: jeepersmedia. Used under a Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0 licence.