Transnational solidarity in organizing against Wal-Mart

This paper explores transnational solidarity in the recent global work against Wal-Mart. In particular, I look at how the UFCW and UNI Global are bringing together unions, academics, and NGO's in countries where Wal-Mart has opened. I was fortunate enough to live in Santiago Chile for 7 months in 2011 and work with the UFCW, unions in Chile, and unions in South Africa on anti-Wal-Mart global solidarity work. Wal-Mart opened in Chile in January 2009 and since then has used Chile as a model for good labor relations. Using Chile as a model was particularly important for the recent acquisition of Massmart by Wal-Mart in South Africa.  Wal-Mart's labor relations were used in the competition tribunals as a way to ease South African unions' anxieties about the transnational giant entering the country. This paper explores how relationships were built between the UFCW and Chilean Unions, and Chilean and South African Unions.  I worked with a group of Chilean unions who wrote a report showing Wal-Mart's blatant anti-union and anti-worker practices in Chile. In addition to the solidarity work between Chilean and South African Unions, I discuss the ongoing work of the UFCW with Chilean unions.  Finally, I discuss challenges and opportunities in transnational labor solidarity work.