Seven Oaks Magazine.

1) A couple of weeks ago, Wal-Mart announced that they’d be closing their store in Jonquiere, Quebec, that was recently unionized with the UFCW. Have there been any developments since that announcement?

Well, they announced that the order is scheduled for May 6. Last Friday, we had an agreement with Wal-Mart about the nomination of an arbitrator, and we’re going to schedule some dates of hearings.

2) When was the union brought in at this Wal-Mart, and for what reasons did the workers organize?

First, in Quebec the law is different than in the U.S. And workers in Jonquiere called us and requested that we represent them. So we started a campaign in 2003 and we ended up with a majority and filed an application in December 2003. And people were looking to have an improved work schedule, better wages, better work conditions, and also respect of their seniority.

3) And the store in Jonquiere is the first Wal-Mart to have a union organize successfully?

Well Jonquiere is the second one that has had a union certified. One store in Windsor, Ontario was certified in 1996, but not because the workers voted in favour. They voted against becoming unionized. But because, in Ontario at that time, the law was very specific about any intimidation or any involvement by the employer in the process – that would lead to an automatic certification. Wal-Mart was found guilty of intimidation, and that’s why at that time the Windsor store was certified.

But this is the first time, across the country, that a Wal-Mart has been unionized because of the will of the employees.

4) What has been the reaction from both the workers at the Jonquiere store, and from the larger community, to this move by Wal-Mart to close the store?

It was very sad, it wasn’t welcome that you lose your job because you join the union. Wal-Mart claimed that it was because of the economic problem of the store but, during the negotiations, never once did the company talk about economic problems with this store. They never talked about this issue, which makes us believe that the store has been closed because people decided to join a union.

And the community is not talking this news very well, because in Quebec – and across the country also – it’s a right to join a union. So people are not very happy.

5) In a press release, I saw that one of your UFCW colleagues said that “the Québec population is not easily deceived regardless of what Wal-Mart management may think back in the American Midwest.” Do you think the community’s reaction is a reflection of Quebec’s militant trade union history?

You know, people fought in the past so that we could have these rights. As a Quebecker, as any other citizen of the country, you want your rights to be respected. So in Quebec, the labour code is a societal choice. We choose, the people of Quebec choose to have a health care system, to have an education system, to pay for it. It’s a choice of a society. And in Jonquiere, Wal-Mart is no different from any other company in Quebec, and they have to respect the law.

6) In terms of the trade union movement in Quebec, what percentage of the workforce is unionized, and how many members does the UFCW have there?

Nearly 42 percent of the workforce is unionized in Quebec. And, of that, you have to know that most of the unionized workers are in the public sector. We represent, across the country, 235 000 members, most of them in food processing and retail. It’s the same thing in Quebec, with 55 000 members.

7) It seems clear that Wal-Mart, with this store closing, is trying to intimidate their workers at other stores. They are sending a message to not even both forming a union if you don’t like your working conditions. What would your message, and your union’s message, be to other workers at Wal-Mart stores throughout North America?

Well, they cannot close every store that wants to join the union. So, it’s possible to join unions. The law is there. It’s possible to negotiate a contract and have a decent relationship with the employer, even if it’s Wal-Mart. And we’re going to go ahead with our other campaigns, and the reaction we’ve had from other workers at Wal-Mart – some have been very intimidated by this closing of the store. But some others said that the only way for them to improve their working conditions and to get dignity at work is to join unions. And they will.