Organizing Wal-Mart

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At its more than 3,200 stores in the U.S., Wal-Mart does not recognize any unions for collective bargaining. The company's official policy as posted on its website is that "because we believe in maintaining an environment of open communications, we do not believe there is a need for third-party representation." But the retail giant has taken a different approach toward its 42 stores in China. Last week, the company issued a statement saying: "Should [employees] request formation of a union, Wal-Mart China would respect their wishes and honor its obligation under China's Trade Union Law." The company succumbed to pressure from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), the only legal labor organization in China. The ACFTU has struggled to gain a foothold in the country's booming private sector. "Imagine what American workers in Wal-Mart stores are going to say," says Robin Munro, research director at the Hong Kong-based China Labour Bulletin. "'Chinese workers living under communism are allowed to have unions in Wal-Mart stores, but we in America aren't?'"