Walmart In Bounds to Fire Protesting Workers, Labor Board Says

Walmart Stores Inc. legally disciplined and fired workers who took part in protests six years ago to improve wages and working conditions at the retail giant, a divided National Labor Relations Board ruled July 25.

The workers’ “Ride for Respect” protest was an intermittent strike—a series of short-term work stoppages with a common goal—that isn’t protected by federal labor law, the NLRB said in its 2-1 ruling. The opinion overturned an administrative law judge’s earlier decision against Walmart.

“This is one of those rare straightforward cases” in which it’s clear that the strike was intermittent and thus not protected by ...