Walmart Is Being Prosecuted for Illegally Firing or Disciplining 117 Employees

The NLRB has announced that they will be prosecuting Walmart for the illegal firing or disciplining of 117 employees who asked for better wages and treatment.

According to Our WalMart,

The National Labor Relations Board General Counsel is issuing a decision today to prosecute Walmart for its widespread violations of its workers’ rights. The decision will provide additional protection for Walmart’s 1.3 million employees when they are speaking out for better jobs at the country’s largest employer.

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The Board will prosecute Walmart’s illegal firings and disciplinary actions involving more than 117 workers, including those who went on strike last June, according to the decision.

The decision addresses threats by managers and the company’s national spokesperson for discouraging workers from striking and for taking illegal disciplinary actions against workers who were on legally protected strikes. Workers could be awarded back pay, reinstatement and the reversal of disciplinary actions through the decision; and Walmart could be required to inform and educate all employees of their legally protected rights.

The decision to prosecute Walmart comes in reply to charges that were made in relation to the Black Friday 2012 protest and strike. At that time, Walmart managers escalated their threats and actions that were meant to discourage workers from going on strike.

The NLRB decision also covers illegal firing and disciplining that took place after Walmart workers took their concerns to company’s shareholder meeting in June. When those employees returned to work, 43 of them were fired, and 23 others were disciplined.

In post-recession America, Walmart’s treatment of their employees is viewed in a different light. WalMart is exploiting and mistreating their employees in a country where 76% of those polled favored raising the minimum wage.

Public opinion has turned against Walmart, customers are fleeing, and now the federal government is no longer going to turn a blind eye to their abuse of their employees.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association