JONQUIÈRE, Que. — The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed with union representatives and found that the company violated Quebec’s labour code when it shuttered its Jonquière outlet after workers voted to unionize. The justices ruled 5-2 that the store’s former employees, who became the first in North America to unionize in 2004, were entitled to compensation. Following the vote, the United Food and Commercial Workers were unable to reach a collective agreement with Walmart, which then closed the Jonquière store citing struggling profits.
Union reps, however, countered that their organizing was the real motive, and the top court sided with them in finding that Walmart failed to establish the store was in financial trouble. A spokesman told CBC News that the company is “disappointed” with the verdict and will “review [it] carefully.”
