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Walmart Black Friday Strike:
Workers Threaten To 'Take Action' On Retailer's Busiest Day
Employees at 28 Walmarts in 12 different cities walked out of work Tuesday, but things may get a whole lot worse for the biggest retailer in the U.S. come Black Friday.
United Food and Commercial Workers' Making Change At Walmart, the group behind the protesters alleging unfair labor practices by Walmart, has warned that the campaign will come to a head on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that's regarded as one of the biggest shopping days of the year, according to a conference call organized by the group Wednesday.
"We feel like if they refuse to listen to our proposition we will make sure that on Black Friday we will take action inside and outside of stores," said Colby Harris, 22, a Walmart worker from Dallas, Texas, and a member of OUR Walmart, a UFCW-backed worker organization closely affiliated with Making Change at Walmart. "We'll make it known that Walmart's deadline is Black Friday," he added.
The Black Friday protests could include any "non-violent action, from flash mobs to strikes to public awareness," Harris added.
David Tovar, Walmart VP of communications, countered the protesters' claims in an interview with The Huffington Post. "These strikes are an attempt by the unions to further their own political and financial agendas," he said, noting that the majority of Walmart's 1.4 million workers are pleased with their jobs. Tovar wouldn't comment on the possibility of Black Friday strikes.
"More than half of Walmart’s one million hourly store associates have an hourly wage at least $10.00 or higher," he said. "In fact, in many metropolitan areas in which we operate, our entry level start rates regularly exceeds that of new hires for comparable positions under the UFCW contracts."
Tovar also said that three quarters of Walmart's store management teams started out in hourly positions, noting that the company promoted 160,000 hourly workers last year.
Employees at 28 Walmarts in 12 different cities walked out of work Tuesday, but things may get a whole lot worse for the biggest retailer in the U.S. come Black Friday.
United Food and Commercial Workers' Making Change At Walmart, the group behind the protesters alleging unfair labor practices by Walmart, has warned that the campaign will come to a head on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that's regarded as one of the biggest shopping days of the year, according to a conference call organized by the group Wednesday.
"We feel like if they refuse to listen to our proposition we will make sure that on Black Friday we will take action inside and outside of stores," said Colby Harris, 22, a Walmart worker from Dallas, Texas, and a member of OUR Walmart, a UFCW-backed worker organization closely affiliated with Making Change at Walmart. "We'll make it known that Walmart's deadline is Black Friday," he added.
The Black Friday protests could include any "non-violent action, from flash mobs to strikes to public awareness," Harris added.
David Tovar, Walmart VP of communications, countered the protesters' claims in an interview with The Huffington Post. "These strikes are an attempt by the unions to further their own political and financial agendas," he said, noting that the majority of Walmart's 1.4 million workers are pleased with their jobs. Tovar wouldn't comment on the possibility of Black Friday strikes.
"More than half of Walmart’s one million hourly store associates have an hourly wage at least $10.00 or higher," he said. "In fact, in many metropolitan areas in which we operate, our entry level start rates regularly exceeds that of new hires for comparable positions under the UFCW contracts."
Tovar also said that three quarters of Walmart's store management teams started out in hourly positions, noting that the company promoted 160,000 hourly workers last year.
I disagree. Greed is what drove business out of this country, that along with still being able to get their tax breaks as long as they maintain an office here.
I dont know about you but my house payment does not go down, nor my utilities or gas just because my employer might decide his profits are way more important than the person making those profits. GREED! That is why businesses go overseas, that is why americans invest in business overseas, and that is why they want to bust the unions to keep more to themselves.
My mother worked for Keebler Company, origianally Streitmans for 36 years and thank god it was union. She made the same pay as her male counterpart for the same work and the same hours. Why did she work there for that long? Because it was an investment in that company and that company viewed her as an investment as well. She retired from there. Unions speak for the people and mediate between the worker and the employer. Most employers want to satisfy their workers and treat them fairly. At least they used to. Now they just want to bust the unions, not offer benefits much less retirement packages and we all sit back and say, ok that is ok. Unions came into being for a reason, something we seem to forget. Do we really want to go back to what it was like before? I don't! I dont call that progress at all. If I could find a job that was union, I would take it over one that didn't.
I dont know about you but my house payment does not go down, nor my utilities or gas just because my employer might decide his profits are way more important than the person making those profits. GREED! That is why businesses go overseas, that is why americans invest in business overseas, and that is why they want to bust the unions to keep more to themselves.
My mother worked for Keebler Company, origianally Streitmans for 36 years and thank god it was union. She made the same pay as her male counterpart for the same work and the same hours. Why did she work there for that long? Because it was an investment in that company and that company viewed her as an investment as well. She retired from there. Unions speak for the people and mediate between the worker and the employer. Most employers want to satisfy their workers and treat them fairly. At least they used to. Now they just want to bust the unions, not offer benefits much less retirement packages and we all sit back and say, ok that is ok. Unions came into being for a reason, something we seem to forget. Do we really want to go back to what it was like before? I don't! I dont call that progress at all. If I could find a job that was union, I would take it over one that didn't.
The little people have lost their rights....I may even agree with that, but guess who they lose their rights to??? The unions.
In this day and age, with the labor laws that are in effect, unions are not needed. No one is forced to take a job with a lower wage than they need. Unions take the power away from the people...let people handle their own affairs.
I have NO doubt that without the threat of the union, companies would be MUCH more willing to give a little. When they're up against a union, they don't even bother. Unions have too much power....and the very people they are supposed to protect, they hold back.
In this day and age, with the labor laws that are in effect, unions are not needed. No one is forced to take a job with a lower wage than they need. Unions take the power away from the people...let people handle their own affairs.
I have NO doubt that without the threat of the union, companies would be MUCH more willing to give a little. When they're up against a union, they don't even bother. Unions have too much power....and the very people they are supposed to protect, they hold back.
The unions don't help employees like you think they do. If anything, in a lot of positions, people hit the salary ceiling BECAUSE of them. In my line of work, union LPNs make a good deal less than non union LPNs, not including the union dues they pay.
Unions foster laziness, and the "rights" they most often fight for are ridiculous ones. Unions hold BACK progress. People are perfectly capable of negotiating their own salaries and benefits, and should be able to follow company rules without having tio have a union rep involved. Supervisors cannot "manage" people in unions BECAUSE of the unions. It becomes impossible, so they get away with murder at their job, they become untouchable. That is NOT productive.
Unions foster laziness, and the "rights" they most often fight for are ridiculous ones. Unions hold BACK progress. People are perfectly capable of negotiating their own salaries and benefits, and should be able to follow company rules without having tio have a union rep involved. Supervisors cannot "manage" people in unions BECAUSE of the unions. It becomes impossible, so they get away with murder at their job, they become untouchable. That is NOT productive.
Let me just tell you that the word union makes me boil a little bit. I never had anyone negotiating my pay. Do you think the fire department and police unions help or hurt? It just ends up that fewer people are employed because cities can't afford to meet the demands of the unions.
Teacher's unions? Hate them with a passion and believe they harm students.
Anyway, in general, I think unions are part of what drove business out of this country.
Teacher's unions? Hate them with a passion and believe they harm students.
Anyway, in general, I think unions are part of what drove business out of this country.
Yes, that is part of the problem, they want the cheap stuff for sure. But what appears to be happening in this country for the last few years is the effort to bust unions so they can put their thumb on the little people and the rich can get richer and the poor get poorer. Doing away with unions makes it possible for an employer to pay whatever they want to pay someone. Now that might sound great, until its your job doing it. They are busting unions, doing away with pensions and offering less and less benefits. I think we are going in a backward motion and when its not just Walmart or Hostess, but more commonly everyone because the little people have lost their rights, that is when it becomes a problem.
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Now we see how it all comes about. The unions are being propaganda ised for a reason ya know. And its not good for the workers, only the corporate thiefs.
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Now we see how it all comes about. The unions are being propaganda ised for a reason ya know. And its not good for the workers, only the corporate thiefs.
And then Americans never ever want to pay 'more' for anything
AND many of them don't want to actually have to WORK at their jobs. There are construction jobs almost ALWAYS available, with good wages, but people don't want to have to "work".
My husband has an IMPOSSIBLE time finding good workers, who are willing to work, and he pays good wages.
AND many of them don't want to actually have to WORK at their jobs. There are construction jobs almost ALWAYS available, with good wages, but people don't want to have to "work".
My husband has an IMPOSSIBLE time finding good workers, who are willing to work, and he pays good wages.
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