News

Walmart, the world’s largest corporation, has reached a new low by filing for a court injunction to limit the effectiveness of a website dedicated to helping Canadian Walmart ‘associates’ understand and exercise their rights as workers.



The injunction request, filed with the Québec Superior Court, concerns the popular and award-winning website www.walmartworkerscanada.ca , maintained by UFCW Canada, a trade union dedicated to helping Walmart workers for nearly a decade.



“This injunction request is an over the top assault on effective freedom of speech,” says UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley. “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 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.”



Despite several threatening letters from Walmart and the prospect of a legal battle, UFCW Canada refuses to be silenced and has launched a public awareness and popular action campaign in response the multinational’s threat.



On July 28, UFCW Canada launched a new campaign that calls on Canadians to contribute to the defence of their digital rights by challenging Walmart executives to demonstrate that they respect freedom of expression by immediately dropping the injunction request.



Activists can contribute to the campaign by visiting www.walmartworkerscanada.ca/freespeech and sending an email to Walmart executives.



Another way for UFCW Canada members to help protect digital rights is by spreading the word about the SAVE the CIRCLE! Facebook group.



Walmart will make its case to Quebec’s top court in the coming weeks.