Wal-Mart workers in Weyburn, Sask., vote to dump union

Workers at Canada's only unionized Wal-Mart, in Weyburn Sask.,have voted 51-5to decertify their union.

Although the United Food and Commercial Workers was certified as a bargaining agent in 2008, the two parties have never reached a collective bargaining agreement.

After a decertification drive was launched at the store and employees voted on that, the union argued the process was unfair and sought to block the votes from being counted.

But on Thursday, after the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the union's application to deal with the case, the way was cleared for the count to be held.

• Supreme Court won't hear union's appeal of Wal-Mart case

The Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board still needs to decide if the resultsarebinding.

Long-running dispute

The Weyburn decertification drive was the latest chapter in the fight between Wal-Martand the union that's been going on for nine years.

Wal-Mart has long resisted unionization at its North American stores, and the Weyburn store is the only unionized Wal-Mart in Canada.

Two other Canadian Wal-Marts have been certified in the past: the store at St. Hyacinthe, Que., anda store at Jonquire, Que.

However, employees at the Hyacinthe outlet later voted to decertify, and Wal-Mart closed the Jonquire store.