NEW YORK — Federal labor officials said Monday that they will decide quickly whether to support a request by Walmart Stores Inc. to stop a union-backed group from encouraging worker walkouts at hundreds of stores on Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.

The world’s largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark., filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board on Friday against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. It said that the demonstrations organized by union-backed OUR Walmart threaten to disrupt its business and intimidate customers and other associates.