Quebec Wal-Mart closes earlier than planned

Wal-Mart announced plans to close its store in Jonquière, Que., on Friday – one week earlier than planned.

Wal-Mart had originally decided to close the store on May 6 after employees received union accreditation last fall. The company had said the store was not profitable.

In the wake of Friday's surprise closure announcement, media reports said employees met with management and workers will be paid over the next few weeks despite the shutdown.

Lawyers for the company and the employees met Friday morning.

The store in Saguenay made history when about 190 employees joined the United Food and Commercial Workers Union after a long fight.

As they began negotiating a contract with Wal-Mart, the retail giant said unionizing employees would threaten the economic viability of the store.

A Wal-Mart store in St-Hyacinthe, Que., is also unionized. A spokesperson for the union there refused to comment on Wednesday's announcement.

Wal-Mart is facing certification applications at about a dozen other locations in Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia – with unionization applications pending at seven Wal-Mart Tire & Lube Express departments in B.C.

Wal-Mart has strongly resisted any attempts to unionize workers at its 1,000 stores worldwide.

Wal-Mart has more than 230 stores in Canada, employing more than 60,000 people.