An investigation is underway and some of the workers continue to be traumatized from the forced search.

“This was a pretty sad message about how much value Wal-Mart puts on the lives of its workers", says Wayne Hanley, national director of UFCW Canada (United Food and Commercial Workers Canada).

“But no worker’s life is worthless. What made Wal-Mart think it had the right to endanger 40 people without their consent? Why did Wal-Mart usher out its customers but order its workers to stay put? What if a bomb really had been planted?”

“This is a very troubling story," says Hanley, “and makes you wonder what kind of information Wal-Mart gives its employees about the labour laws."

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Originally posted by Stargazer:
I thought this kind of thing was against the law? I mean we had a bomb threat here and everyone was evacuated. Same thing happened at IKEA, everyone, including the workers, were immediately evacuated. I would sue the pants off Walmart.

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Article with Police Reaction.

From the article:

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According to police, the store didn't violate any laws and only had an obligation to evacuate the store if a suspicious object was found.

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Originally posted by Stargazer:
Oh, so I guess the evacuation of the TD Tower and IKEA were...what?

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Ethical actions not required by law.

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Originally posted by greenie:
Ethical actions not required by law.

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Originally posted by Scott Piatkowski:
Except that workplace safety legislation guararantees the right to refuse unsafe work. Wal-Mart is bound by that law even if it doesn't like it.

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Originally posted by Stargazer:
I cannot believe the police are behind Walmart on that. Doesn't speak well of them either.

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Originally posted by blake 3:17:
Life is cheap at Wal-Mart: Company orders 40 employees to search for a bomb

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Meanwhile in Saskatchewan...

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'Board is biased' against Wal-Mart, court hears
Retailer awaits unionization ruling in Saskatchewan

Hollie Shaw, Financial Post; hs
Published: Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Wal-Mart Canada's union battles have shifted to Saskatchewan, where the retailer is taking aim at the province's labour board, alleging bias could prevent the company from getting a fair hearing.

Wal-Mart lawyer John Beckman argued last week before a Saskatchewan Queen's Bench judge that some labour board members should be replaced.

He cited an affidavit from the board's former vice-chairman, Walter Matkowski, who alleges his contract with the board was not renewed because he had made rulings against unions and was not well-liked by organized labour in the province.

Mr. Matkowski, who has filed a wrongful-dismissal lawsuit against the government, also alleges his superiors forced board members to read the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour's newsletter, which featured articles critical of both Wal-Mart and the board.

The United Food and Commercial Workers is trying to organize two stores in Weyburn, Sask. The labour board has yet to release its ruling in the Weyburn case, which was heard last year. Mr. Matkowski did not sit on that hearing.

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Originally posted by Scott Piatkowski:

Except that workplace safety legislation guararantees the right to refuse unsafe work. Wal-Mart is bound by that law even if it doesn't like it.

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Originally posted by greenie:
Yes, but that leads to the question of when work is deemed unsafe. In the article I referenced, the police claimed that work is unsafe only when a suspicious object is found and not when only a threat has been made. I prefer the latter definition but I suppose this is a question for the courts to decide.

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Originally posted by greenie:

Yes, but that leads to the question of when work is deemed unsafe. In the article I referenced, the police claimed that work is unsafe only when a suspicious object is found and not when only a threat has been made. I prefer the latter definition but I suppose this is a question for the courts to decide.

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The law (for example, section 128 of the Canada Labour Code, but all provincial codes read similarly) require that the employee have "reasonable cause to believe" that the situation "constitutes a danger" to herself or a fellow employee. Thus, it is not necessary that an actual danger exist. The only issue the tribunal would later determine is whether the worker didn't really believe there might be a danger and was faking it.

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The occupational health and safety commission in Quebec is investigating complaints by Wal-Mart employees that they were forced to help police search for suspicious packages in their store after it received a bomb threat.

The commission says it should have its findings by next week, and it may make recommendations on how these situations should be dealt with in the future.

Three bomb threats in one week at the Wal-Mart store in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu left employees feeling edgy. But it's how their employer allegedly dealt with the threats that has them more concerned.

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The only suspicious package in this store that day was company policy and procedure.

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Its like that scene in Blazing Saddles where the boss sends the two black railroad track layers out in a hardcart to look for quicksand. Well, they found it.

How does the average Wal-Mart employee know what might constitute a suspicious package? Did they get on the job training that day in what to look for? Is there are conference of managers that decides that something might be a bomb if an employee thinks he/she has found something suspicious? I mean, a mere EMPLOYEE can't be trusted to determine whether they've actually FOUND a REAL BOMB, only someone anointed as a manager can really decide and then they would call the cops, right? I mean if this weren't real it WOULD be a scene from a comedy movie.

Curly: "Hey Moe, I think I found the bomb!"

Moe: "Ah, what makes you think so chowderhead?"

Curly: "Well its ticking and there's dynamite attached to it, see?"

Moe: "Yahhhhhhh its a real bomb!!

Curly: "Woowoowoowoowoo!

(Curly throws bomb over shoulder, caught by stuffy looking Wal-Mart manager).

Manager: "Say what's the big idea throwing around company property - you're all fired!"

(boom!)

(Wal-Mart manager shown descending toward a man dressed in red with horns and pitchfork)

Devil: "I believe you're going my way"