Hear It Straight from a Former Walmart Worker Why You Should Get Involved on Black Friday
AFL-CIO
I was thrilled to be a Walmart employee until I realized the simplicity of Walmart’s major issue: The company doesn’t care about its employees.
When I reflect on my Walmart experience, it’s hard not to break down emotionally. I recall countless stories of some of the best workers expressing the pain caused by Walmart’s unfair treatment and low wages. I worked with an elderly man who would worry about not getting enough hours. He would tell me about the embarrassment he faced having to live with his son and his son’s wife. One time, I hadn't seen him at work for a while and I later learned he had open heart surgery. In need of money and haunted by the fear of losing his job, he was forced to return to work weeks after his surgery. He was in no physical shape to return. Walmart saw no use in him, and he later was fired.
And after two years of being known as one of the deli’s best, hardworking employees, I was fired. Fired because it took me less than three minutes to leave the deli to quench my thirst after our usual “12 p.m.–2 p.m. Sunday church rush.” Yes, I got fired because I was so thirsty I went to the McDonald's inside our store, paid for a drink and returned to the deli. The department manager said I left my co-workers understaffed—something Walmart is notoriously known for purposefully doing every day.
But now, this Black Friday, I'll be standing in excitement and solidarity with Walmart Strikers! Workers are calling on Walmart to put an end to retaliation and also publicly commit to $15 an hour and access to full-time hours. If they succeed, workers will no longer have to work in fear when they speak out against unfair treatment. And with access to full-time and hourly wages at $15, workers and their families will have an opportunity to not only pay bills, but also put food on the table.
Workers will be striking at stores across the country, and it's easy to show your support. You can locate your nearest event at www.BlackFridayProtests.org. Together, we can show the Waltons, the owners of Walmart, how important it is to set the standard nationwide by treating its workers with respect.
***
This has been reposted from the AFL-CIO.
