Walmart workers plan Black Friday protests over wages

Reuters ^ | November 14, 2014 | BY NATHAN LAYNE

[Oldeconomybuyer]

A group of Walmart employees pushing for higher wages said on Friday they were planning protests at 1,600 Walmart stores nationwide on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year in the United States.

The labor group, Our Walmart, said it had protested 1,200 to 1,400 Walmart stores last year on Black Friday, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Asked about the workers' complaints, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan said the company does not retaliate against workers who strike or protest.

"The reality is that few Walmart associates participate in these labor-organized protests," she said.

[G Larry]

Walmart should place ads now for replacement workers.

[Pearls Before Swine]

I’ll bet the planning, transportation, and staffing of these “protests” are 100% done at regional or national union headquarters, likely in concert with the Dem party machine.

[boycott]

Fire them. It’s not like their highly skilled workers.

[NativeSon]

To show my support, I’ll be sure to shop at Walmart on that day.

[csmusaret]

Has any enterprising journalist ever compared Walmart wages to other chains?

[wrench]

Did this last year with no effect.

[shelterguy]

I have never seen a Walmart worker chained to the floor. They are free to leave and find a better job at any time they want.

[Shimmer1]

What??? What an absurd question! Make sense, are you KIDDING????

/sarc

[oh8eleven]

Walmart employees pushing for higher wages said on Friday they were planning protests
So this is what America has become - protesting in the streets for raises.
WTF ever happened to hard work, doing a better job, getting an education?
These lazy, low-lifes should spend 6 months in a third world country ... they'd never protest anything ever again.

[CMailBag]

I’d bet that NONE of the protesters are Wal-Mart employees.

[cuban leaf]

Walmart should place ads now for replacement workers.

---

A lot of people would like to know where to show up to apply.

I keep telling people, if you don’t want a minimum wage job, acquire non-minimum wage skills.

[Monorprise]

“Walmart should place ads now for replacement workers.”

Its a good market for that.

[rellimpank]

--and the first question asked of the group when applying for a job is "Is there anyone her who can't work shifts, weekends and holidays?"-

-a few raise their hands and the next statement is "then we can save your time and ours--you can leave now because we have no jobs that don't involve shifts, weekends and holidays"---

[boycott]

You’re probably right but if any are and they refuse to show up for work, they need to be fired.

[DUMBGRUNT]

Fire them. It’s not like their highly skilled workers.

Fire them? It’s not likely they are actual Walmart workers.

[grania]

I'll be sure to shop at WalMart that day

I'll shop at WalMart when they feature made in the USA quality merchandise.

[mountn man]

Fire them. It’s not like their highly skilled workers.

Fire them. It’s not like their highly skilled OR workers.

[Tupelo]

According to the Obama Administration, the economy is booming, so why do these poor exploited Walmart employees continue to work there?
My God, all they have to do is walk down the street and someone will yank them inside and put them to work.

But wait. Work is not the idea here. Income is. More income, less work. What they want is a larger cut of the Waltons’ and the shareholder's income. Or all of it.

[VRW Conspirator]

Who is organizing this? 1400 employees just do not spontaneously go on a protest.