Quebec to Wal-Mart: Bite me.

Quebec's labor relations board apparently recognizes when it's being handed a load of horseshit:

Quebec's labor relations board has rejected Wal-Mart Canada's claim that it closed a unionized store in that province for economic reasons, saying instead that there was evidence the store might reopen.

In a decision released late last week, the board said that it did not find the April closing of the store in Jonquière to be "real, genuine and definitive" under the province's law. The decision makes it possible that the company could be fined and that compensation could be ordered for about 190 former employees.

And if you're Wal-Mart, what do you do? Why, lie, of course:

The Canadian arm of Wal-Mart Stores has vigorously denied suggestions that the store's closing, an unusual act for the company, was related to the successful drive to organize its employees by the United Food and Commercial Workers-Canada. Rather, it said, the outlet was unprofitable.

The labor board's decision did not look at the store's financial results, however. The board said it heard evidence that Wal-Mart had made no real effort to find another tenant to assume its 20-year lease on the store and that the building had neither been sold nor demolished. That, the board said, indicated that the closing was not permanent, making the dismissal of its workers illegal under Quebec law.

"The company is still the tenant," Pierre Flageole, vice president of the Quebec Labor Board, wrote in the board's decision. "Every indication is the company has left the door open to resume the same business in the same space."

Oooooh. Busted. And, of course, this has nothing -- nothing, I tell you -- to do with that whole unionization thing. Why, it's not even an issue. Oh, wait ...

In one very modest victory for the union, eight workers in the tire shop of a Wal-Mart in Cranbrook, British Columbia, voted last week to organize, the union said. Wal-Mart is appealing that vote.

Coincidence? Hmmmmmm ...

JUST PLAIN CREEPY: Need an Internet stalker? Here, take mine.

P.S. Take the time to appreciate the utter uselessness of a fundamentalist, nutbar blogger in Minnesota telling people they shouldn't do business in Quebec. Yeah, I'm sure that province is devastated by the smackdown. Really.

P.P.S. If you truly need to see the stupidity of Weasel Boy's position, read the Globe and Mail's write-up of the ruling, particularly this part:

The labour board concluded that Wal-Mart Canada, Inc., failed to prove that the closing of its store in Jonquière in April was "real, genuine and definitive" as required under the Quebec Labour Code.

That's right -- under Quebec law, it is the responsibility of the company to prove that it was a genuine closing, not the responsibility of the labour board. And Wal-Mart failed utterly to establish such a case.

Jesus H. Christ, Jinx, is there nothing so stupid that you won't write it on your blog? (No, no, don't answer that. Please.)