Walmart workers announce national strike

Support #WalmartStrikers this Black Friday

A day after historic sit-down strikes, civil disobedience, and a large protest in California, Walmart workers with the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) announced plans to hold national strikes. Fed-up with seeing their California coworkers punished for simply standing up for decent wages, access to full-time hours and change at Walmart, workers say they will take bold action to protest Walmart’s retaliation.

The group said that it plans to strike on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that is often called the “Superbowl of retail.” Prior to this announcement about Black Friday (November 28th), community members had already started to plan protests at Walmart stores nationwide. You can support workers as they fight to defend their right to speak out by signing up to attend a protest, or hold your own event at a Walmart near you. To hold your own event visit BlackFridayProtests.org.

What this is about and why it matters

Walmart workers at more than half the company’s stores are standing together, calling for the company to publicly commit to $15 an hour and full-time, consistent hours. We know that Walmart and the Waltons can afford fair pay, and tens of thousands of us are standing with Walmart workers in their calls for $15 an hour and full-time, regular hours.

Walmart and the Walton family which owns and runs the company can certainly afford to do better by their workers. The company is making $16 billion in profits every year from the hard work of its 1.4 million workers, and the Walton family is the richest family in the United States. Every day the Waltons add $8.6 million to their $150 billion wealth. In fact, the Waltons have as much money as 43% of American families combined.

No one in America should work at a company with $16 billion in profits, run by a family with more than $150 billion in wealth and be unable to put dinner on the table!

Solidarity opportunities in North Carolina

We will update this post with other events as we learn about them. Don't see an event near you? Start your own! Find a Walmart near you at http://blackfridayprotest.org/.

Want to host an event but need more info? Download materials including signs, petitions, prayer vigils, flyers, and more.

To take action, you just need to go to your local Walmart with a sign saying that you support the workers fighting for fair pay and respect, get a picture of yourself, and tell the manager you support the workers’ cause. Walmart tracks all of these actions - no matter how large or small, so they have a huge impact!

In Greensboro

What: Pre-Black Friday OUR Walmart solidarity protest
When: Monday, November 24, 2014 at 11:00 AM
Where: 3605 High Point Rd, Greensboro, NC 27407
RSVP: Let us know you're coming - and share this event - on Facebook

In Durham

What: Black Friday letter delivery
When: Friday, November 28, 2014 at 9:45 AM
Where: Walmart Supercenter at 5450 New Hope Commons Dr, Durham, NC 27707
RSVP: Let us know you're coming

Show your support for Walmart workers by signing the petition to tell the Waltons that you support the workers’ call for $15 an hour and access to full-time work and that you'll be standing with workers on Black Friday if they don't respond.

Find a Black Friday action near you - or create your own - at BlackFridayProtest.org