Walmart Workers Forging a New Labor Movement
Walmart workers are embroiled in a ferocious fight to unionize and fight against low wages and harassment. It’s an important fight for all workers, but especially Latinos. Walmart is the largest employer of Latinos in the U.S.
The Walton family, owners of the Walmart Corporation, rank among the 50 richest people in the world, and among the 20 richest people in the U.S.
Until recently the Walmart Corporation and the Waltons were members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization with a history of promoting anti-immigrant legislation. While Walmart recently withdrew from ALEC in response to public pressure, the Walton Family Foundation remains a member.
The Walton family, not content with their exploiting Latino workers, also actively promote repressing them in the attempt to have a more docile workforce. Such attempts are meeting with Walmart workers’ drive towards unionization and spreading support from the community.
LA QUINTA, CA — In November, Walmart workers at the La Quinta store joined the historic wave of Black Friday actions that took place at over 1,200 Walmart stores in cities across the U.S. Early on Black Friday morning, shoppers woke up to a vibrant scene in front of the La Quinta Walmart store as demonstrators lined up to protest against Walmart and renewed their call for respect, improvements in working conditions, and an end to retaliation against Walmart workers who speak out.
At about 6:30 a.m., members of the Organization United for Respect (OUR) at Walmart began passing out lime-green t-shirts, leaflets, and hot drinks to striking workers and their supporters, staging outside the Walmart store in La Quinta. Walmart was ready with security guards, Sheriff’s officers, and managers in suits behind barricades that blocked off the area directly in front of the store, between the two main entrances. Joining the Walmart strikers were members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, as well as Occupy Coachella Valley, and the Comité Latino—an immigrants’ rights group.
By 7a.m. the group of about 50 workers and their supporters marched past the barricades and began to picket the store, shouting slogans and waving signs: “WHAT DO WE WANT? RESPECT! WHEN DO WE WANT IT? NOW!” and “WE WANT FULL TIME, NOT PART TIME!” Several Walmart workers bravely spoke before TV cameras and journalists.
“It’s not easy standing up to the biggest company in the U.S. which tries to silence us with intimidation and firings,” said Maria Ledesma, a striking Walmart worker. “We are here because we want good jobs, full-time with good benefits. Thousands have joined us because we can’t continue to work in such a hostile environment. We refuse to be silenced!”
Lew Stewart of Occupy Coachella Valley spoke to the crowd of striking workers and their supporters, highlighting the importance of supporting striking Walmart workers in a time when basic workers’ rights are being rolled back and attacked by the richest 1% of the population.
Mario Lazcano of the Comité Latino also spoke to the assembled workers and stressed the importance of organization and unity and reminded them of the famous statement by the historic Mexican figure Emiliano Zapata: “It’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”
Black Friday’s national day of action comes as a response to Walmart’s unwillingness to take responsibility for its illegal and unfair treatment of workers. Walmart workers are fighting back by creating alliances with labor unions and community groups, and by utilizing the internet and Facebook to build their movement.
To learn more about OUR Walmart visit Facebook.com/OURWMT or www.ForRespect.org
