WALMART WORKERS ANNOUNCE STRIKE: “RIDE FOR RESPECT” TO DELIVER COMPLAINTS TO SHAREHOLDER MEETING JUNE 7

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By Miriam Raftery

June 2, 2013 (San Diego) – Walmart workers from across the U.S. including some in San Diego County are on strike, seeking more hours to support their families.  They are joining a “Ride for Respect” traveling to a Walmart shareholders meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas on June 7 to deliver their message.

Our Walmart, a workers’ group, is asking the public to sign a petition in support. The petition states that “many workers at Walmart must rely on food stamps and even go hungry because of lack of hours and low wages.” Workers also allege that Walmart has retaliated by firing workers or cutting hours of those who spoke up for their rights. The petition asks Walmart to commit to raise wages and increase access to full-time hours so that workers will earn at least $25,000 a year.

Walmart CEO Mike Duke earns over 1,000 times the salary of the average Walmart worker. Walmart has also been involved in a series of scandals in recent months globally, including a fire at a Bangladesh factor that killed 112 garment workers where Walmart merchandise was produced.

Walmart spokesperson Brooke Buchanan called the caravan a “publicity stunt by the union” and added that the effort “won’t impact the festivities” at the shareholder meeting, the Nation magazine reported on May 28.

The company previously filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board claiming a Black Friday picketing last year was illegal. In late May, Our Walmart in turn filed NLRB chargse against Walmart alleging unfair labor practices including firing of two Our Walmart activists.

A report by American Rights at Work-Jobs with Justice, a nonprofit supported by unions, reviewed 150 alleged incidents and found "pervasive forms of initimidation" by Walmart by managers at both the store and corporate level.

Armando Valenzuela, a Walmart employee in Chula Vista, is among those joning the Ride for Respect.  “I’m standing up today and taking the message to Walmart headquarters on behalf of the millions of Walmart employees who deserve so much better,” said Valenzuela, San Diego Politico reported on May 31. He added that Walmart workers across the country “have their own awful story, but they aren’t all yet ready to risk their jobs to speak out.”

San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council’s new Secretary-Treasurer Richard Barrera joined the call for Walmart to treat workers with dignity and fairness. “All workers, union and non-union, deserve basic respect and the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families,” he said, according to San Diego Politico.

Mickey Kasperian, president of the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 135 in San Diego, praised workers who are speaking out. “It takes tremendous courage to stand up against the biggest corporation in America,” he concluded.

 

 


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