Questions are swirling around Wal-Mart’s decision to temporarily close five of its stores, including one in Pico Rivera, California. The retailer claims the closure is due to “ongoing plumbing issues that will require extensive repairs,” however workers have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging the closure is an effort to punish those who have been at “the center of concerted action by associates to improve the wages and working conditions of all Walmart associates around the country.”
Wal-Mart has yet to apply for building permits for the work, raising further questions as to why the giant retailer has not addressed the issues sooner. According to documents obtained by The Times, the list of 50 “plumbing issues” Wal-Mart provided dates back to July 2014, with half of them identified as “non-emergency” and involving problems such as leaky urinals and broken toilet handles. This raises the question of why such problems were not fixed during a $500,000 refurbishment over the last year, during which the store did not have to be closed.
The store closure, which will last six months to a year and cost the jobs of more than 500 employees, has also raised questions as to why Wal-Mart did not mention the closure until April 13. On that day, according to Venanzi Luna, an employee at the Pico Rivera store, managers called workers to a meeting at 1 p.m. to inform them the location would be closed as of 7 p.m.
Questions remain about Wal-Mart’s decision to close the Pico Rivera store and other locations due to “ongoing plumbing issues.” The retailer has yet to apply for building permits for the work, and the list of 50 “plumbing issues” provided dates back to July 2014, half of which were identified as “non-emergency.” Furthermore, the closure comes after a $500,000 refurbishment of the store, raising questions as to why the issues were not addressed at that time. The closure, which will last six months to a year and cost the jobs of more than 500 employees, was only announced on April 13. This has led to speculation as to whether the closure is part of an effort to punish workers who have been at “the center of concerted action by associates to improve the wages and working conditions of all Walmart associates around the country.”
Wal-Mart’s sudden closure of five stores across the US has sparked speculation that the company’s February wage initiative was merely a PR stunt. The 2,200 workers affected by the closures have been offered jobs at other stores, with no guarantees of the same pay or classification. Wal-Mart has denied that the closures are related to the union campaign at its Pico Rivera store, however, Making Change at Walmart has noted the company’s history of anti-union maneuvers. Brian Nick, a Wal-Mart spokesman, has said the closures were done abruptly to allow the work to begin promptly, and that the stores had the largest number of repair work orders in the company.
The abrupt closure of five Wal-Mart stores across the US has raised questions over the company’s commitment to its 1.4 million US workers. The 2,200 employees affected by the closures have been offered jobs at other stores, but with no guarantee of the same pay or classification. Wal-Mart has denied that the closures are related to the union campaign at its Pico Rivera store, however, Making Change at Walmart has noted the company’s history of anti-union maneuvers. Brian Nick, a Wal-Mart spokesman, has said the closures were done abruptly to allow the work to begin promptly, and that the stores had the largest number of repair work orders in the company. The workers are entitled to 60 days’ severance, as mandated by federal and California state laws.
