Top court will hear appeals over Wal-Mart store closure

The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear appeals from a number of workers who lost their jobs when Wal-Mart Canada closed its unionized store in Saguenay, Que., three years ago.

The decision to consider two related cases was announced Thursday. As usual, the court gave no reasons. No date has been set for the hearing.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union won certification at the Wal-Mart outlet in September, 2004, but could not reach a contract with the company.

The union sought arbitration, but Wal-Mart announced it was closing the store.

The workers went to a Quebec labour tribunal and argued that the closure was designed to intimidate other workers who might want to unionize. They said they were losing their jobs because of union activities.

Wal-Mart said the store closed because it wasn't profitable. Its lawyers argued that Canadian law recognizes a company's right to close a location regardless of its motives.

In one case, the tribunal dismissed the workers' complaint but allowed a second, separate complaint. That second decision was later thrown out by the Quebec Court of Appeal.