A challenge by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to Wal-Mart Stores Inc’s treatment of striking workers is likely to become a critical symbol of labor unions’ attempts to organize the many non-union workplaces in the United States in the face of stiff resistance from management.

The wider implications of the showdown for Wal-Mart and other American employers that don’t recognize unions are likely to be much more important than any costs the giant retailer may face if it loses the case, labor experts said.

Originally published in Reuters on January 16, 2014.