Labor & Employment

Pittsburgh -- GNC Holdings announced Monday that its president and chief merchandising and marketing officer Beth Kaplan has resigned the company.

After three-and-a-half years in the position, Kaplan cited a desire to pursue personal interests as reason for the departure. She will also resign as a director of the company.

Joe Fortunato, CEO, will reassume the title of president of GNC.

In related news, Amy B. Lane has joined GNC Holdings’ board of directors, replacing Kaplan.

Washington, D.C. -- A Bloomberg report on Tuesday said that the women who sought to sue Wal-Mart Stores for gender bias on behalf of 1.5 million co-workers said they will continue the fight in smaller lawsuits in lower courts and claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said the women failed to prove that Wal-Mart had a nationwide policy that led to gender discrimination, precluding a class action and forcing the plaintiffs to pursue claims on their own.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores, announced Monday that the company has completed its investment for a 51% stake in South African-based Massmart Holdings Limited.

Allegations of illegality and intimidation are par for the course whenever union organizers lose an election, so it should have come as no surprise when workers at a Target in Valley Stream, N.Y. voted against unionization.

The National Labor Relation Board announced this past weekend that 137 workers voted against joining the United Food and Commercial Workers union while 85 workers supported the union. Had the drive been successful it would have been the first time workers at any of Target’s store were represented by a collective bargaining agreement.

PLANO, Texas — Last week, RetailingToday.com reported that former Apple executive Ron Johnson would succeed Mike Ullman as CEO of JCPenney. Today, JCPenney announced that Ullman, who was originally slated to remain on the company's board of directors indefinitely, will now be leaving the company on Feb. 1, 2012.

New York City -- Kmart stores is laying off 700 employees in its appliance departments.

The chain, a division of Sears Holdings Corp., is changing the way it sells appliances, allowing customers to check out appliances at any register rather than going to a dedicated register. Instead of having dedicated appliance-only associates, all Kmart staffers are being trained to answer questions about appliances.

There will also be a 1-800 number customers can call for help.

Washington, D.C. -- In a ruling that may mean new limits on class-action suits, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled for Wal-Mart Stores in the largest sex-discrimination lawsuit in history as it put the brakes on a massive job discrimination lawsuit against the chain.