NEW YORK (AP) – Federal labor officials vowed Monday they will decide quickly whether to support a request by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to stop a union-backed group from pushing worker walk-outs at hundreds of stores on Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.

The world's largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark., filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board on Thursday to stop a group called OUR Walmart, which is made up of current and former Wal-Mart workers, from holding protests.

Wal-Mart faced a worker walk-out in October ahead of its annual investor meeting that expanded to about dozen states and involved about 90 workers. But union officials promise walkouts at hundreds of stores this week.

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