Walmart workers planning Black Friday walkout blowout with thousands of in-store and online protests

By Nina Golgowski

PUBLISHED: 21:26 EST, 15 November 2012 | UPDATED: 10:40 EST, 16 November 2012


WalMart employees are planning to stage their largest walkout ever on Black Friday, the biggest holiday shopping day at the world's largest retail store.

Motivated by strikes at Los Angeles stores before spreading to 12 other cities last month, the walkout is warned by at least one expert to potentially threaten not only their workforce but customers caught in the middle.

Expecting 1,000 protests both at stores and online is watchdog group Corporate Action Network and Union-supported groups OUR Walmart and Making Change at Wal-Mart.

Scroll down for video

Anger: A Dallas, Texas Walmart is seen picketed by workers and supporters last month claiming Walmart is using unfair labor practices and retaliation a similar argument prompting an expected walkout on Black Friday

Anger: A Dallas, Texas Walmart is seen picketed by workers and supporters last month claiming Walmart is using unfair labor practices and retaliation a similar argument prompting an expected walkout on Black Friday

Employees in Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and D.C. have signed up in the walkout according to Making Change’s director Dan Schlademan. Work stoppages are also planned in Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisiana and Minnesota.

Mr Schaldeman said no specific store locations are being released for fear of worker retaliation ahead of next week.

 

More...

To Walmart the numbers projected are said to be incremental, with a spokeswoman saying those expected to strike are only a small percentage of their 1.4 million workforce.

'This is just another exaggerated publicity campaign aimed at generating headlines to mislead our customers and associates,' Walmart responded to the strikes in a statement obtained by KNWA.

'Our associates care about providing a great customer experience on Black Friday and we're confident that's what customers will have at Walmart this year,' they said.

Ripple: Striking Walmart workers in Pico Rivera, California are also seen last month at the start of the strikes that are rippling across the states

Ripple: Striking Walmart workers in Pico Rivera, California are also seen last month at the start of the strikes that are rippling across the states

Wages: A woman holds a sign protesting unsafe working conditions and poor wages in Pico Rivera with the average worker annually making around $18,000 according to an $8 per hour pay

Wages: A woman holds a sign protesting unsafe working conditions and poor wages in Pico Rivera with the average worker annually making around $18,000 according to an $8 per hour pay

'Even if there aren't that many people, it could have an effect, because their campaign in front of stores could discourage shoppers,' Ken Margolies, senior associate at the Worker Institute at Cornell University told CNN.

CITIES EXPECTED TO BE INVOLVED

Walkouts:
  • Chicago
  • Dallas
  • Miami
  • Los Angeles
  • Milwaukee
  • D.C.  

Work stoppages:

  • Oklahoma
  • Mississippi
  • Louisiana
  • Minnesota

*specific store locations are not being released ahead of next week by Making Change

Mr Margolies hinted it having a much greater impact if involving their supply centers as well.

Strikes did take place last month at one Southern California warehouse as well as at a distribution center in Illinois which supplies Walmart stores.

The issues over pay, hours, benefits, as well as employees' ability to speak up has rallied the workers.

‘I kept asking myself, “when is the retaliation for speaking our mind and acting on our rights going to stop?”’ William Fletcher, a Walmart employee in Duarte, California told CNN.

With roughly half of Wal-Mart's stock controlled by descendants of company founder Sam Walton, Wal-Mart's labour practices have garnered criticism among consumers and have gotten attention in the press, but so far have not affected investors.

In 2008 Wal-Mart agreed to pay as much as $640 million to settle dozens of federal and state class-action lawsuits alleging it deprived workers of wages.

In the latest lawsuit filed in Chicago last month the corporation is accused of failing to pay temporary workers a minimum of four hours' pay on days a labourer was contracted to work, but was not utilized for a minimum of four hours.

No threat: A mariachi band plays during last month's strike in Pico Rivera while a Walmart spokesperson says the planned strike on Black Friday will involve a harmless number of employees

No threat: A mariachi band plays during last month's strike in Pico Rivera while a Walmart spokesperson says the planned strike on Black Friday will involve a harmless number of employees

'It's a successful company that profits $16 billion a year, that can afford to pay its executives $10 million,' Sarah Gilbert a striking worker in Seattle told AOL, 'while I can't afford to support my family on $16,000 a year.'

According to Glassdoor.com the average Walmart sales associate earns $8.83 an hour.

If working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, their annual salary would be $18,400.


'It's a successful company that profits $16 billion a year, that can afford to pay its executives $10 million while I can't afford to support my family on $16,000 a year'

               - Seattle employee Sarah Gilbert

On Wednesday the latest public smear against the company came from the mouth and public arrest of a former employee seen handcuffed while visiting his old store in Orlando, Florida to talk to workers about the planned strike.

Alex Rivera accused managers of intentionally misleading city police officers to cause his detainment, he told The Nation.

Mr Rivera now fears that with his former co-workers having seen him in handcuffs for voicing his support against the corporation they will be fearful of protesting alongside him.

'They're going to say, "If I join the organization and do something like that, this is what's going to happen to me,' he said.

'Unfortunately the facts just don’t support what Mr Rivera is saying,' a Walmart spokesperson responding to his story told the Nation accusing Mr Rivera of ignoring a signed trespassing warning.

According to Mr Rivera, that warning was not signed until after his arrest, to the mutual described anger of arresting officers.

VIDEO: Workers explain why they are standing up to Walmart


 
Add your comments

Comments (72)

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

When you have a Democrat as a president, businesses cut hours and pay low wages. If you haven't figured that out yet, then you are naive. Unions aren't going to solve your problems either. They are just going to make it worse. Want higher wages and be treated better? Vote for a Republican next election. It makes business owners feel better.

Click to rate     Rating   (0)

Report abuse

FreddiMercuryFan: Looks like you can shop at Walmart, after all, as the majority of Walton heirs gave BIG money to support Romney: From Forbes.com, 10/23/2012 "While the 44-year-old Sam is helping to re-elect the president, his relatives have been trying to kick Obama out of the White House. Jim Walton (Sam¿s uncle) has donated $300,000 combined to Restore Our Future, a PAC that backs Mitt Romney, and Our Destiny, which supported former Republican candidate Jon Huntsman. Alice and Christy Walton (Sam¿s aunts) gave $200,000 to Restore Our Future and $50,000 to Our Destiny, respectively." Walmart/Romney: Made for each other.

Click to rate     Rating   (0)

Report abuse

metoo: Yes! Those Walmart employees ARE replaceable, as are engineers, highway department employees, civil engineers, heavy equipment operators, manufacturing workers, maintenance workers, restaurant employees, doctors, nurses, etc, etc, and it's going to get much worse if we allow it to. Support ALL job actions. If you earn your money from wages, YOU are part of the most important segment of the economy: THE DEMAND SIDE. P.S. Browse for this: Bridge Comes to San Francisco With a Made-in-China Label.

Click to rate     Rating   1

Report abuse

Wal-Mart stocks a bunch of cheap items made in China, and one of the Wal-Mart heirs was a huge Obama campaign contributor. Needless to say, I don't shop there anymore:)

Click to rate     Rating   4

Report abuse

Stupid fools go ahead and strike. Destroy your employer just as the auto worker unions have destroyed theirs. You work in a service related, unskilled labor market where you are easily replaced and the general public is no longer on your side.

Click to rate     Rating   3

Report abuse

Good, I hope it works, but they will likely be sacked, sadly.

Click to rate     Rating   2

Report abuse

Walmart employees: If you don't like the pay or benefits, GO WORK SOMEWHERE ELSE!

Click to rate     Rating   1

Report abuse

Sherry S, Memphis: OK, Hostess shut down, what will former Hostess buyers now do with their money?

Click to rate     Rating   4

Report abuse

I submit this to you: barter with those you know, utilize thrift stores and e-bay, bargain with your locally-owned business owners and workers, and shop at places like Costco where workers seldom leave because they are treated well by the working-class raised owner. It will all add up to quality purchases at the same or lower prices than what you would get at Wal-mart. Most of all, BUY AMERICAN!!! P.S. there are state constitutions in the United States that guarantee the right to organize labor and bargain collectively for their citizens.

Click to rate     Rating   7

Report abuse

So that means i can just walk up in that fool and steal something?Al,alright imma plan something for christmas eve since the world ending anyways lol.

Click to rate     Rating   1

Report abuse

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

You have 1000 characters left.
Libellous and abusive comments are not allowed. Please read our House Rules.
For information about privacy and cookies please read our Privacy Policy.
Terms