Walmart employees fast at Black Friday protest

Many Walmart employees took part in a 24-hour fast to protest wages and schedules. This new development came just a day after workers walked off the job at many stores across the country.

Published: November 29, 2014 | Authors: Elizabeth Miller | NationofChange | News Report

nationofchange.org 

On Thursday, 12 Walmart workers and their communities started a 24-hour fast to protest the astonishingly low wages Walmart pays their employees. This new development comes a day after initial strikes began, resulting in many Walmart employees walking off the job. 

Yesterday, on the biggest shopping day of the year, workers at 1,600 Walmart stores across the country protested, seeking minimum pay of $15 an hour and full-time work on a regular schedule. Employees are also calling for “an end to retaliation against workers who speak out for better pay and working conditions.” 

A new site, BlackFridayProtests.org, was set up to allow people to show their solidarity for the striking employees by calling their local Walmart. Individuals can also use the site to donate to help support the workers. 

Although the protests were to push many serious requests, there was some lighthearted fun involved, including a Santa Claus at a location in Denver that was set up to deliver coal to managers. 

At other locations things were more heated. At a Walmart store in Dallas, 100 picketing employees attempted to enter the store but were denied access. In Chicago several employees were arrested due to blocking traffic on the road in front of the store. And in Oakland, 14 people were arrested for attempting to shut down BART. 

The protestors had the support of the AFL-CIO, which promoted the strikes on their Twitter, as well as releasing an official statement from President Richard Trumka: 

“The entire labor movement will proudly stand with the brave workers at Walmart as they lead the largest mobilization to date for better wages and schedules.” 

Walmart has a statement on their website that reads: “About 75% of our store management teams started as hourly associates, and they earn between $50,000 and $170,000 a year — similar to what firefighters, accountants, and even doctors make.

Last year, Walmart promoted about 170,000 people to jobs with more responsibility and higher pay.” A recent study found that 88% of food bank clients have household incomes of less than $25,000 a year. Nearly 60% of Walmart employees make less than that a year. 

The low wages hurt everyone, forcing many employees to become part of federal benefits programs, costing taxpayers millions each year. According to Democratic staff of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, workers at a single 300-employee Supercenter store rely on $1 million dollars in public benefits per year, sometimes more. $15 an hour and more humane benefits could go far to get thousands out of poverty and many off of federal aid. 

This is the 3rd consecutive year of Walmart employees protesting on Black Friday.