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Wal-Mart workers plan Black Friday walkout
Walkout builds on October strike that started at Wal-Mart in LA
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -
A group of Wal-Mart workers are planning to stage a walkout next week on Black Friday, arguably the biggest holiday shopping day for the world’s largest retail store.
The walkout builds on an October strike that started at a Wal-Mart in Los Angeles and spread to stores in 12 other cities. More than 100 workers joined in the October actions.
One of the workers who plans to join next week’s walkout is William Fletcher, who works at a Wal-Mart in Duarte, Calif.
Fletcher, who also participated in the October strikes, claims Wal-Mart cut his hours after he asked to move from the receiving department to another division because of a knee injury. He has since switched departments.
“I kept asking myself, ‘when is the retaliation for speaking our mind and acting on our rights going to stop?’ ” he said. Wal-Mart did not have an immediate comment in response to Fletcher’s claim.
The union-backed groups OUR Walmart and Making Change at Wal-Mart, and a watchdog group Corporate Action Network, are calling on the nation’s largest employer to end what they call retaliation against employees who speak out for better pay, fair schedules and affordable health care.
On Black Friday, the organizations expect 1,000 protests, both at stores and online.
MNHawk
November 16th, 2012
“William Fletcher, who works at a Wal-Mart in Duarte, Calif.”
Good luck in life, chump, after failing at the bottom rung of employment.
StumpManNC
November 16th, 2012
Go back and dig in the internet archives and see just how many stories you find of people getting injured on Black Friday.
Now, ask yourself. What would happen if the stores had fewer employees to help with crowd control?
Edith McCrotch
November 16th, 2012
Sweet…I need an extra part time job, so I’ll be at our local Wallyworld with my resume and wait for the exodus.
any wagers on the percentage of O.Vee’s in the walkers?
Billy Fuster
November 16th, 2012
Sam wouldn’t put up with this crap.
Noodengr
November 16th, 2012
I totally side with the company when it comes to Hostess standing up to the unions, but I actually take the workers side on this one. Everyone needs to be able to spend time with family and friends for the holidays. When someone has to work on a major holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas because some corporate bigwig thinks they can squeeze a few more pennies to the bottom line, it not only effects that worker, but the families and friends. I for one refuse to patronize any store when it is open on a holiday. I can perfectly capable of planning ahead or heaven forbid doing without for one day so that I am not a rewarding a company for depriving their employees of a day off.
NO company is going to go under by not being open for a couple of days a year.
Boobie the Rocket Dog
November 16th, 2012
@ Nood- That’s Target, not Wal-Mart, I don’t believe.
Boobie the Rocket Dog
November 16th, 2012
I’d LOVE to run into a picket at Wal-Mart sometime, especially after the last election. BUT, I never shop on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
What’s the point of paying thanks to God for life, health and happiness on Thursday and watch any or all of those evaporate in the aggressive crowd on Friday?
VaGal
November 16th, 2012
Meh. WalMart sucks. They supported Obama’s agenda, so I do not shop there anyway.
old_oaks
November 16th, 2012
This is the first Wal*Mart article I’ve seen that doesn’t quote COLBY HARRIS!
Try it, goog his name +WalMart.
scr_north
November 16th, 2012
First off, if any workers walkout on Friday they need to be immediately fired for cause. There won’t be a problem in getting replacements in these economic times. As far as having to work on a holiday, Walmart is being forced into this simply as a competative measure as this whole “Black Friday?” crap may have been started by a few retailers but has been been built up by the media as a major social event, a major economic indicator and some sort of huge event that the public has been conditioned that they must take part in. Like it or not, that’s the field retailers have to play in and their team members better be ready to suit up.
michellesbigbeaver
November 16th, 2012
@Noodenger: There are always other jobs that the employee could take. They know the rules when they sign on to go to work. If they don’t like working holidays, go work somewhere else. Keep in mind that the employees have minimal leverage because they are unskilled labor….so just how much money and benefits do you think they should be payed for stacking macaroni boxes on the shelves on Christmas Eve?
fellow Associate
November 16th, 2012
just a heads up, Edith, ya might wanna dob on a little makeup before you show up for your Greaters position
mkultra
November 16th, 2012
I hope their commie picket line is the only thing between sharply-discounted iPads and THESE guys:
http://tinyurl.com/bq8hvzu
Should make for an entertaining newscast.LOL.
gorgo
November 16th, 2012
Just seeing a group with the ignorant, communistic gall to call themselves OUR WalMart is enough to make me shop there even more.