Walmart users are again trying to band together and pursue better pay, benefits and treatment on the job, but the new organization effort won’t involve a union. The Organization for United Respect at Walmart, or OUR Walmart, has reportedly signed up thousands of members in an attempt to unionize workers without actually unionizing.

The New York Times reports the group has received funds from the United Food and Commercial Workers, which has paid members to go door-to-door to get Walmart workers to join OUR Walmart. The fledgling group has organized meetings of employees in several major cities to mull over ways to improve their work experiences.

Because the group is not a union, it won’t collectively bargain with Walmart for labor contracts, but the story says members could benefit from laws protecting employees from retaliation against “collective discussion and action.”

A Walmart spokesman says OUR Walmart is no different than previous unionization efforts, and simply geared to draw attention to itself.

Wal-Mart Workers Try the Nonunion Route [The New York Times]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.