Walmart-at-the-Crossroads-FINAL-06.04.15

The ILRF found that “the violations were carried out in response to efforts by workers to press for
improved working conditions through participation in trade unions.” The report further notes serious
worker and human-rights violations that included illegal firing of workers, threats of violence,
mandatory anti-union meetings, threats of job loss, and threats to replace workers with people found
through temporary agencies, among other abuses.
After the report was released, UNFI truck drivers from its Moreno Valley facility voted on July
19, 2013 in an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on whether they
wanted the Teamsters to be their union representative. UNFI contested the vote, however, so the ballots
were not counted for over a year until the NLRB ordered a vote count. On September 3, 2014, the
NLRB issued a complaint against UNFI for violating U.S. labor law by intimidating and
interrogating warehouse workers who were trying to form a union at its Moreno Valley
distribution center.
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A month later, the ballots were finally counted by the NLRB, and Moreno Valley UNFI drivers
officially became members of the Teamsters union. Despite the successful election, UNFI still refused to
recognize the union. On February 10, 2015, the federal government found that UNFI
unlawfully refused to bargain with the Teamsters union at its Moreno Valley facility. This
conduct would be troubling by any employer, but “it is all the more so because UNFI has represented
itself to the public as a company that operates according to principles of social responsibility…”
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Because of UNFI’s illegal scare tactics and refusal to recognize the union contract, UNFI warehouse
workers in Moreno Valley still do not have protection and benefits from unionization and collective
bargaining.
ii.
Environment
As a supplier of organic and natural products, being “green” is an obvious fit for UNFI. Its
mission statement explains that the company’s wish is “to be an outstanding partner in the communities
where [it] work[s], supporting them economically, and making meaningful contributions to the quality
of life.” UNFI strives “to use [its] strengths to support socially responsible initiatives that protect the
environment and foster stewardship of the land.”
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The company claims to meet its goals by granting
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