Activists Make History: Organizing the First Walmart Warehouse Union in Canada with Angela Drew Kimelman

Perspectives: A Canadian Journal of Political Economy and Social Democracy

Walmart is notorious for its anti-union practices, pouring millions of dollars into union-busting campaigns every year. But this didn’t stop Angela Drew Kimelman, an Organizer at Unifor, from helping unionize over 800 workers at a Walmart warehouse in Mississauga, Ontario.

In our first episode of Activists Make History, a new podcast series from Perspectives Journal, Kimelman shares the concerns of the warehouse workers and the dangerous conditions they faced. The Mississauga warehouse union drive has shown to be a catalyst for labour organizing in warehouses across the country, with momentum swinging towards the working-class.

Tune in to Activists Make History to hear the incredible story of how history was made by ordinary Canadians in unionizing workers against the odds. This series could not have been made possible without the generous support of Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union.

Notes:

• How Walmart Persuades Its Workers Not to Unionize. By Steven Greenhouse, The Atlantic, June 8, 2015.
• Unionization Efforts Approach Cornwall Walmart Logistics Warehouse Workers. By Julia Lucio, The Cornwall Seeker, Sept. 18 2024.
• Walmart Canada announces additional $92M wage investment for frontline associates. Walmart Canada, Sept. 25, 2024.
• Canadian Workers Win First Walmart Warehouse Union North of Mexico. By Kari Thompson, LaborNotes, Oct. 18, 2024.
• Unifor alleges Amazon ramped up hiring at B.C. warehouse ahead of union vote. By The Canadian Press and Charles Brockman, City News Vancouver, May 31, 2024.
• Warehouse Workers Unite