Wal-Mart staff in Canada say `no' to unionists

A major trade union accused retail giant Wal-Mart on Wednesday of thwarting workplace democracy, after workers rejected the chance to become the third Canadian store to secure union representation.

Workers at a branch of Wal-Mart in Windsor, adjacent to the US city of Detroit, voted by a majority not to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCWU).

"Today's vote result follows a clear pattern of Wal-Mart Canada associates voting against union representation when given the chance to express their views in a democratic, secret-ballot process," Wal-Mart said in a statement.

But the union pledged to battle on, accusing store bosses of waging a war of intimidation.

"We're disappointed for the workers but we're not surprised," said Michael Fraser, national director of UFCW Canada.

"The vote demonstrated Wal-Mart's fear tactics worked," he said.

The union accused Wal-Mart of pressuring workers to sign anti-union positions and of warning that an already unionized store in the French-speaking province of Quebec could close.

Wal-Mart, meanwhile, charged the union with conducting overly aggressive tactics to get workers to sign up.

In North America, a union must prove to authorities that it has the support of a majority of workers in a business to be accredited, and then becomes the sole representative of all the staff.

Last year, workers at two Wal-Mart stores in Quebec became the first two sets of workers to secure union recognition at the retail giant's outlets in North America.

Wal-Mart complained the unionizing process in Quebec was "undemocratic" as it did not permit workers to have a secret ballot on the issue.

Low labor costs are among factors which have allowed Wal-Mart to slash prices on goods in its huge stores, which stock groceries to golf clubs and everything in between.