The United Food and Commercial Workers union is demanding full disclosure of documents regarding a news report that says ousted top Wal-Mart executive Thomas M. Coughlin used up to $500,000 for anti-union activity.
But it may not get them. The giant anti-worker retailer is stonewalling Coughlin's lawyers' demands for their release.
Wal-Mart cashiered Coughlin last month for "alleged misuse of corporate funds," the company said, turning information over to the U.S. attorney for Western Arkansas. No charges have been filed, yet. Coughlin had headed Wal-Mart's U.S. operations.
But the Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to Coughlin, said the exec really used the money for "work-related expenses," including paying people to identify stores where UFCW planned organizing drives. No union members got the payments, it said.
"Wal-Mart has already been found guilty of illegally spying, bribing with promotions, firing and intimidating workers," UFCW said, referring to past convictions of the company for labor law-breaking. "These revelations, if true, mean Wal-Mart's anti-worker, anti-union program would represent a criminal offense under the federal Taft-Hartley Act."
Taft-Hartley, passed by a GOP-run Congress over President Truman's veto, makes it "a federal felony to pay employees to persuade coworkers to abandon support for union representation," UFCW noted. "We are deeply disturbed by these allegations of Wal-Mart's anti-union activity," UFCW Executive Vice President and Director of Organizing Bill McDonough said.
"These serious criminal offenses cast Wal-Mart's systematic anti-worker activities on a much more sinister level. Wal-Mart should not try and cover up...but should do the right thing and make all documents public immediately," he said.
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The United Food and Commercial Workers union is demanding full disclosure of documents regarding a news report that says ousted top Wal-Mart executive Thomas M. Coughlin used up to $500,000 for anti-union activity.
But it may not get them. The giant anti-worker retailer is stonewalling Coughlin’s lawyers’ demands for their release.
Wal-Mart cashiered Coughlin last month for “alleged misuse of corporate funds,” the company said, turning information over to the U.S. attorney for Western Arkansas. No charges have been filed, yet. Coughlin had headed Wal-Mart’s U.S. operations.
But the Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to Coughlin, said the exec really used the money for “work-related expenses,” including paying people to identify stores where UFCW planned organizing drives. No union members got the payments, it said.
“Wal-Mart has already been found guilty of illegally spying, bribing with promotions, firing and intimidating workers,” UFCW said, referring to past convictions of the company for labor law-breaking. “These revelations, if true, mean Wal-Mart’s anti-worker, anti-union program would represent a criminal offense under the federal Taft-Hartley Act.”
Taft-Hartley, passed by a GOP-run Congress over President Truman’s veto, makes it “a federal felony to pay employees to persuade coworkers to abandon support for union representation,” UFCW noted. “We are deeply disturbed by these allegations of Wal-Mart’s anti-union activity,” UFCW Executive Vice President and Director of Organizing Bill McDonough said.
“These serious criminal offenses cast Wal-Mart’s systematic anti-worker activities on a much more sinister level. Wal-Mart should not try and cover up…but should do the right thing and make all documents public immediately,” he said.