Following Walmart’s inaction to improve jobs by Labor Day deadline, DC and Maryland Community to Join Walmart Workers for Nationwide Day of Protests [VIDEO]
As calls to rebuild the economy with better jobs reverberate across the country, Walmart workers and their supporters today announced the largest mobilization since Black Friday, set for Thursday, September 5.
The announcement comes as Walmart has failed to meet a Labor Day deadline to reinstate illegally fired and disciplined workers, publicly commit to improve jobs and end the company’s aggressive violations of workers’ rights. Thousands of workers and their supporters plan to protest on Thursday in over a dozen cities across the country.
“Walmart, we cannot wait any longer for you to do the right thing for American workers. Our jobs should not be at risk when we speak out about improvements that would help our families and Walmart customers,” said a Cindy Murray a Walmart worker who was recently arrested for protesting at Walmart’s Washington, DC offices. Murray has worked at Walmart for 13 years. “Walmart employees like me are not making enough to support our families even though we work at the country’s largest company.”
Among the 15 cities nationwide participating in this protest, Hyattsville, Md. where hundreds of Walmart workers and supporters joined outside of the Walmart store in the Capital Plaza shopping center today to call on the company to reinstate illegally fired and disciplined workers, improve jobs and end the company’s aggressive violations of their rights.
Refusing to leave the intersection of Annapolis Road and 65th Avenue without a meaningful response from Walmart, three workers and three community allies, were arrested.
“Our jobs should not be at risk when we speak out about improvements that would help our families and Walmart customers,” said Tonya C., a worker who was arrested. “We must stand up together because enough is enough.”
Tonya had always dreamed of working at Walmart and had been praised by her managers as being one of the store’s top performers during the four months that she worked at the store. Tonya makes $8.41 hour and relies on food stamps.
UFCW Local 400 President, Mark Federici, was in attendance along with Local 400 shop stewards and staff in support of the Walmart workers who are “the heroes of our time” said Federici.
“We’re here to honor and respect the workers at Walmart who are standing up here in Maryland and all over the nation today protesting Walmart’s illegally firings and retaliation,” said Federici. “And on behalf of the 35,000 UFCW Local 400 members, we thank you for your bravery and strength to stand up in order to live better!”
Walmart Workers Protest Retaliation (Hyattsville, Md) from UFCW Local 400 on Vimeo.