Wal-Mart Canada says it will appeal a provincial decision to unionize its store in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., CBC News has learned.

Sunday's announcement follows the retailer's decision to shelve its unionized store in Jonquière, Que., this May. Wal-Mart said the store was losing money and the union refused to make the necessary concessions to keep it open.

Six months ago the Jonquière store became the only Wal-Mart store in North America to be unionized.

Veronique Huberdeau
Veronique Huberdeau

The threat of an appeal doesn't worry Wal-Mart employee Veronique Huberdeau, who has worked at the Saint-Hyacinthe store for three years.

"Of course we're worried about what happened in Jonquière," she says. "But we need a contract. The employer needs to respect us, and the way they schedule our hours."

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union accuses Wal-Mart of not respecting Quebec's labour laws, but the retailer claims the union hasn't played by the rules.

"Any time you have a workplace that ends up being unionized, without the employees in that workplace voting for a union, in our view we have a questionable situation," said Andrew Pelletier, Wal-Mart Canada's public affairs director.

Wal-Mart pays fine

The retailer also faces legal troubles south of the border. It has agreed to pay a fine of $135,000 US for breaking child labour laws.

The U.S. labour department says Wal-Mart stores in Arkansas, Connecticut and New Hampshire forced unlicensed teenage workers to use dangerous equipment such as power saws and forklifts.

Wal-Mart denies the allegations, but decided to pay the fine just the same.