WAL-MART AND KOHL’S ACTIONS

Our Council has been engaged in several statewide campaigns focused on getting the public’s attention regarding the exploitation of workers and the attack on our area's standard wages and benefits.  Our efforts against Wal-Mart started the day after Thanksgiving, typically referred to as “Black Friday,” the traditional kick off to the Christmas shopping season.  On this day our Council had banners at all 94 New York Wal-Mart locations.  We have been continuing to banner and handbill at locations throughout the state, as well as use strength in numbers by attending all the public hearings regarding Wal-Mart Construction proposals in large groups.  You may have heard or read about an agreement being worked on by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Eastern District for New York State and other areas.  We are hopeful our actions will encourage Wal-Mart to come to that agreement. 

Bobby Owens, Tim Martin, Rick Millspaugh, and Lou Rodriguez are picketing in front of Town Hall to protest the possibility of non-union labor at the proposed Wal-Mart in Napanoch, Ulster County, New York.

The other ongoing statewide campaign is against Kohl’s stores.  This campaign includes banners, handbills, and letters to the CEO and individual stores as well.  We have been coordinating our efforts with the New Jersey State Carpenters distributing the same handbill and message in both states.  We have also been contacted by the Teamsters International about their nationwide efforts against Kohl’s and may be coordinating with them in the future. 

Union Carpenters pass out hand bills in Rochester and Buffalo to promote a union construction crew at the new KOHL’s being built in Depew, New York. Pictured are Dave Kingsley, Daryl Bodewes, Chris Stone, Chris Burke, Anthony Cristofanelli, Sal Alessandra, and Jerry Knoof.

We believe Wal-Mart, Kohl’s and others should respect the community and the area standard wages where they want to build their businesses, and we will continue to pressure those who do not agree.