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Wal-Mart, Under Pressure, Boosts Wage To $9/hr

Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said it would raise entry-level wages to $9 an hour, a 24 percent increase from the U.S. minimum wage that some employees now earn, succumbing to longstanding pressure to pay its workforce more. The world's largest retailer said the increases would cost it $1 billion and impact 500,000 employees, or about 40 percent of its workforce, although the hike falls short of what some labor groups have been agitating for. The move comes amid a growing debate in the U.S. over the widening gulf between the rich and low-income workers. Wal-Mart has been a prime target of critics who say its low-wages and inflexible scheduling are a big part of the problem. The White House praised the move, pointing out that 17 states have already moved to boost their minimum wages above the federal level of $7.25 an hour and renewing its call on the Republican Congress to boost the wage on a national level.

Walmart: Stop Racist Threats Of Violence Against Workers

Markeith Washington was working on the overnight remodeling crew at the Richmond, CA Walmart Store which was supervised by Art Van Riper. Van Riper was notorious among associates for screaming insults, calling the crew "a bunch of lazy ass workers." During one night of work in September of 2012 while Markeith was tying a rope around his own waist to aid in moving a heavy counter, Van Riper said to him, "if it was up to me, I'd put that rope around your neck." Shocked at this hateful comment, Markeith simply responded, "That's not right." Markeith and his fellow remodel crew associates were understandably outraged by Van Riper's threat. They bravely joined together to demand discipline for Van Riper and respect on the job by taking actions including talking to management, sending a letter to Walmart and even participating in a work stoppage strike.

Walmart Stop Retaliating Rehire Ismael Nunez

On January 26th, I was terminated by Kelly Cooper, the manager for Walmart store #1772 in Klamath Falls, Oregon, in what I believe was retaliation for my efforts to speak out for a better workplace. I worked at Walmart for 11 years and didn’t have problems until I started getting involved along with other employees across the country in campaigns for better wages, better benefits and other improvements at Walmart. Since then, I have participated in some rallies and events and I joined a nationwide strike at the end of last year. The management at my store knew I’ve been a part of these efforts and have discouraged my coworkers from getting involved. Recently, things got worse. . .

Really Walmart? Calling The Police On Your Own Workers

Meet Ismael Nunez, an 11 year associate who has been standing up for better working conditions at Walmart for it’s associates and customers. Understaffing in the store and associates earning a living wage are just some of the things Ismael has been speaking up about. Recently, Ismael was disciplined for productivity despite being tasked to do the job of several people. What’s more, a manager called the police on Ismael and had him escorted from the store. Walmart managers at the Klamath Falls store wanted to send a clear message to workers: if you speak out, you will be disciplined. Walmart should be rewarding hardworking associates like Ismael not calling the police on them.

Court Rules Walmart Must Pay Workers $188 Million

A week after a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled that a Walmart manager in California could not legally threaten to "shoot the union," a Pennsylvania court handed down another decision against the mega-retailer. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Walmart must pony up $188 million to employees whom it failed to compensate properly during breaks and total hours worked. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld a 2007 judgment in favor of the workers. It affects roughly 187,000 people who were employed at Walmart between 1998 and 2006. On Tuesday, Walmart said it might appeal the court's decision. "We disagree with the decision, and continue to believe that these claims should not be bundled together into a class-action lawsuit," the company said in a statement on Monday.

Walmart Manager Wanted To ‘Shoot Everyone’

Raymond Bravo, a former Walmart employee in Richmond, CA, decided to go on strike with his co-workers back in November 2012 because they were tired of being disrespected. After their white manager made a racially charged comment, enough was enough. “This manager, Van Riper, told one of the associates who was a member—they were pulling a shelf with rope around his waist—and he told him that he’d like to put that rope around his neck,” Bravo said. “And the associate is African American.” Following the strike, Walmart gave the workers two writeups. Workers can only get three writeups before being placed on a probation period in which they can get fired after their next mistake.

Black Friday Strikes Escalate At Walmart Stores In DC

Three years ago it would have been unthinkable for a Walmart employee to walk off the job, especially on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. They would have been administratively disciplined or worse, terminated. But that is what happened on November 28 at the H Street Walmart in Washington, DC when several workers did not report to work, saying they were fed up with low wages, irregular schedules, reduced hours, and economic hardship. unnamed (11) “I worked 40 hours a week but was classified as a part time employee even though I was working full time,” said Glova Scott, a Walmart employee at the H Street location. She said her classification prevented her from qualifying for company benefit programs. Early Friday morning, several hundred supporters from the advocacy group Our Walmart, the AFL-CIO, and other labor groups marched with strikers to the H Street Walmart in northwest Washington to tell managers they wanted better pay and regular hours

Walmart Black Friday Protests Sweep The Nation

At Walmart, this year's Black Friday protests will be the widest-reaching ever, organizers say, with pickets and strikes planned at 1600 stores in 49 states to remind shoppers that the people serving them often can't afford to feed themselves. "I have to depend on the government mostly," says Fatmata Jabbie, a 21-year-old single mother of two who earns $8.40 an hour working at a Walmart in Alexandria, Virginia. She makes ends meet with food stamps, subsidized housing, and Medicaid. "Walmart should pay us $15 an hour and let us work full-time hours," she says. "That would change our lives. That would change our whole path. I wouldn't be dependent on government too much. I could buy clothes for my kids to wear." The nation's largest employer, Walmart employs 1.4 million people, or 10 percent of all retail workers, and pulls in $16 billion in annual profits. Its largest stockholders—Christy, Jim, Alice, and S. Robson Walton—are the nation's wealthiest family,collectively worth $145 billion. Yet the company is notorious for paying poverty wages and using part-time schedules to avoid offering workers benefits. Last year, a report commissioned by Congressional Democrats found that each Walmart store costs taxpayers between 900,000 and $1.75 million per year because so many employees are forced to turn to government aid.

More Than 2,250 Walmart Stores Set To Strike

For the third Black Friday running, America’s largest retailer is expected to face labor protests at locations across the country. Workers and supporters affiliated with the union-backed labor campaign OUR Walmart say this Friday will be their biggest strike yet. OUR Walmart first burst onto the scene two years ago, when it used Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, to launch an unprecedented, nationwide strike against Walmart. The group originally demanded that Walmart pay all employees a base salary of at least $25,000 per year, but has since joined with striking fast food workers in demanding at least $15 per hour. Workers affiliated with OUR Walmart claim the retailer pays so little that some employees don’t even have the means to feed their families.

Black Friday Strikes: Walmart Workers Begin Walking Off Jobs

Walmart workers—members of OUR Walmart—started striking today in cities across the country, saying they couldn’t wait until Black Friday to protest the company’s disregard for their rights to speak out for jobs that will let them feed their families. The strikes, which will continue through Black Friday, come days before what are expected to be the largest strikes and protests ever at 1,600 Walmart stores. The news comes as Americans nationwide are standing up against the vast injustices created by powerful people and institutions. Last night in Washington, DC, hundreds of protestors marched through the city—including peacefully entering Walmart’s new store on H Street. Workers in Virginia and Washington, DC are on strike for the first time today and are joined today by workers walking off the job in cities and towns in Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Maryland, Oregon, Minnesota, California, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. “I know I’m risking a lot by going on strike,” said Glova Scott, who is paid $10.90 working at the company’s new Washington, DC store. “But we cannot continue to let the Waltons and Walmart retaliate against us and ignore our rights when we are calling for wages and hours that will let us feed our kids. Walmart needs to treat us with respect and dignity.” Even as Walmart brings in $16 billion in annual profits and Walmart’s owners build on their $150 billion in wealth, the majority of Walmart workers are paid less than $25,000 a year. The workers and their supporters have been calling on the company to pay workers a minimum of $15 an hour and provide consistent, full-time work.

Walmart Workers Promise Biggest Black Friday Strike Ever

Walmart employees who are organizing as part of OUR Walmart are promising the biggest strikes ever on Black Friday, saying more employees will participate than the previous two years. Workers have gone on strike and protested for the past two Black Fridays. This time, they will also be joined by “tens of thousands” of community members, according to Stephanie Ly, AFT New Mexico president and a teacher, the “largest mobilizing of working families we’ve seen in recent history.” Teachers, elected officials, members of the clergy, and others will participate in protests at stores, flash mobs, marches, and prayer vigils. While Walmart some workers will go on strike, others will be asked to report to work the day beforehand: Thanksgiving. Nearly 1 million workers will be asked to report to work on the national holiday to keep the store open all day, with Black Friday shopping deals starting at 6 p.m.

28 Arrested At First Walmart Sit-In

Twenty-eight people—including members of the clergy, community members and striking Walmart workers—were arrested outside a Walmart store in Los Angeles today calling on the company and its owners—the Waltons—to end the illegal threats to and retaliation against workers calling for $15 an hour and consistent, full-time work at the country’s largest private employer. The group was joined by hundreds of Californians who rallied outside the store in Pico Rivera, the site of the first Walmart strikes in 2012. Since earlier today, when striking workers held the first-ever sit down strike in company history in a Crenshaw, CA store, more workers have walked off the job. As a second sit down strike continued in the Pico Rivera store, the group of Californians said America’s largest employer and richest family are driving the income inequality problems that are holding the country back.

Walmart’s Walton Family Threatens America’s Renewable Energy Future

Although Walmart has installed more solar power capacity than any other U.S. company, its owners, the Walton family, have invested millions in groups that are fighting to limit the development of solar power, according to a new report from the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). The report, How The Walton Family Is Threatening Our Clean Energy Future, resolves the contradiction by pointing to the multibillionaires’ main motivation: profit. According to the report, “The Walton family—majority owners of Walmart—are impeding America’s transition to a clean energy future. At a time when more than 500,000 households and businesses are generating their own solar electricity, and the U.S. solar industry is employing 143,000 people, the Waltons are funding nearly two dozen organizations working to roll back renewable energy policies, while a Walton-owned company is pushing for regulations aimed at hindering the growth of rooftop solar power.”

The Execution Of John Crawford III

Beavercreek, Ohio, police officers Sean Williams and David Darkow came into Wal-Mart with weapons drawn, prepared to spill blood. Within minutes, John Crawford III, an unarmed 22-year old shopping for a BB gun, was fatally shot lying in a pool of blood. This was the second kill for Officer Williams. A grand jury investigating the murder determined that Crawford had not committed a crime nor did he do anything wrong. John’s father, John Crawford Jr., expressing the families shock and disbelief, questioned how a young man can go into a store as a customer and be murdered by police. "If he did nothing wrong, if he did not commit a crime, then why is he not here with us? I'm at a loss for words. I'm appalled." The video that contains the 911 call shows the execution of John Crawford III by police. Viewers should be warned; the video is graphic and deeply disturbing. The surveillance video from Wal-Mart was released before the grand jury announcement.

Sonoma County Says ‘No’ To Walmart

Wal-Mart has again submitted a proposal to expand its existing discount store in Rohnert Park into a supercenter, selling both general merchandise and groceries. In 2010, widespread organized opposition across Sonoma County and a successful lawsuit derailed the project. Much has changed since Wal-Mart first proposed a supercenter five years ago in Rohnert Park–and the ongoing campaign by a broad coalition of labor, faith, environmental, and community-based organizations to oppose the project has implications for the entire state, if not the nation. For the past five quarters Wal-Mart has experienced falling sales. The retail giant is desperate to expand its market share in large metropolitan regions like the greater San Francisco Bay area. To penetrate metro regions Wal-Mart seeks to increase both the number of supercenters with groceries and to construct 40,000-square-foot ‘Neighborhood’ grocery stores—as Wal-Mart’s grocery sales climbed from 7 percent nationwide in 2002 to 18 percent in 2011. Hence, in addition to proposing the first supercenter in the North Bay (i.e. Marin and Sonoma counties), Wal-Mart is building a ‘small mart’ grocery store in Rohnert Park, also the first in the two counties.

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