Each working day, Kim Quartimon shows up at Federal Way’s Wal-Mart Supercenter with an agenda: Educate employees on their right to form a union.

Quartimon and several other Washington state Wal-Mart employees are involved in Walmart Workers for Change, supported by UFCW Local 21 union — which represents workers in grocery stores, retail, health care and service sectors throughout the state. The employees hope to unionize and secure higher wages, comprehensive health care coverage and improved working conditions.

“We don’t want Wal-Mart to go away,” Quartimon said. “We just want an even playing field.”

Quartimon has been part of the Wal-Mart staff for seven years, and said she has seen the company slip from a family-friendly employer to a company that uses scare tactics to intimidate workers and discourage union representation.

“I know my rights,” Quartimon said. “It’s my constitutional right to want to be in a union.”

Speaking out

Quartimon and others spoke at a June 4 Walmart Workers for Change event in Renton. In the past, although workers may have wanted to unionize, they were scared to do so, Quartimon said. Wal-Mart would close stores or lay off clerks if the desire to unionize became too popular, Local 21 community organizer Mary Nguyen said.

“We know Wal-Mart can’t afford to close 100 stores across the nation,” she said.

Wages and benefits

Quartimon was hired at $10 per hour in 2000. When she left the company in 2006, she was making $11.82. After completing her schooling, Quartimon returned to work at the Wal-Mart Supercenter, 34520 16th Ave. S., about one year ago. She currently earns less than she did upon her 2006 departure, she said.

“You used to get merit raises all the time,” Quartimon said. “You don’t get that anymore.”

Quartimon is also uninsured. Medical insurance costs as little as $5 per month, according to a Wal-Mart Health and Wellness Web page, found at http://walmartstores.com/HealthWellness/7626.aspx. Ninety-two percent of Wal-Mart’s 2.1 million associates are insured, whether through Wal-Mart or other means, according to the Web page. The coverage is affordable, but the deductible of $2,000 is outrageous, Nguyen said.

“I have to choose to pay a bill or go to the doctor,” Quartimon said.

When employees are injured on the job, they are discouraged from seeking medical attention, she said. Workers fear taking a sick day could mean the loss of their job or reprimands.

Wal-Mart responds

Michelle Bradford, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, said the company gives raises based on merit, not seniority. She would not comment on whether the company was aware of the Walmart Workers for Change movement, but said the majority of employees are satisfied with their jobs, wages and benefits.

“We’re hearing great things from our associates across the country,” she said. “A large majority tell us they value their jobs.”

Medical insurance is offered to full-time and part-time associates, Bradford said. She confirmed that insurance plans can be as low as $5 per month for some workers, but was unwilling to discuss deductibles or specifics about plans offered to employees. The information found on the company’s Web site is as detailed as Wal-Mart is willing to discuss, she said.

Most employees do not prefer to be part of a union, Bradford said. The company has an open-door policy, she said. When asked how Wal-Mart knows its associates do not prefer union representation, Bradford referred to this policy. She would not comment on whether stores have closed in the past due to an overwhelming preference for union representation.

“Essentially, we do foster an environment of open communication with our associates,” Bradford said. “We do have an open-door policy that encourages associates to take their concerns to management.”

Help from Congress

The Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 is giving Quartimon and others like her the courage to stand up for their rights. The act moves to amend the National Labor Relations Act and would make it easier for workers to form or join a union, given the majority of employees have signed a union authorization card. The act would also identify a clear time line for drawing up labor contracts.

Representation

Quartimon and other leaders continually educate their co-workers about their options. Union representation would bring wages ranging from $13.25 to $22.25 per hour, Nguyen said. Medical coverage would be as low as $72 per month with a $250 deductible for a family, Nguyen said. Pension plans would also be available, she said.

“The general idea is that all the co-workers can come together and have a say in what they want to improve in the workforce,” Nguyen said.

Many workers tell Quartimon that if a union were established, they would join. But they fear to be involved in the initial push, Quartimon said.

“I believe in what I’m fighting for,” she said. “This is not a fight just for me; it’s for Wal-Mart workers across the world.”