Walmart

Ashton Kutcher ( @aplusk) kicked off the dust-up by tweeting about the news that an Ohio Wal-Mart took up an employee-to-employee food charity collection “so Associates in Need can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.” He wrote, “Walmart is your profit margin so important you can’t Pay Your Employees enough to be above the poverty line?” Fourteen minutes later, the company’s@WalmartNewsroomaccount, echoing its replies to others on the topic, tweeted back at Kutcher, “It’s unfortunate that an act of human kindness has been taken so out of context. We’re proud of our associates in Canton.” After 10 minutes, Kutcher shot back, “you should be proud of your associates but I’m not sure if they should be proud of you.” Wal-Mart then offered Kutcher a video on “Opportunity and Benefits at Walmart,” saying, “We know you believe in opportunity like we do & we’d love to talk to you more about it.” Kutcher quickly countered, “you had 17 billion in profits last year. You’re a 260 billion$ company. What are we missing?”

On Wednesday, Walmart workers called out or walked off the job at seven stores in Dallas, according to OUR Walmart activists, the group that has been organizing strikes and protests against the company. The company says that these were not independent actions but the result of activists being bussed between different store locations. The strikers joined a group of workers and supporters at a store in Lancaster to call on the company to pay all workers at least $25,000 a year, provide more full-time positions, and end retaliation against those who strike or try to unionize. The strike in Dallas comes after workers walked out in Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles over the past few weeks and dozens walked out of a Miami store in October. They also come ahead of a promise from workers to strike on Black Friday as they did last year, when 400 workers went on strike. A company spokesperson said that few associates participate in these actions because “they understand the truth about working for Walmart, that it provides more opportunities for career advancement and economic security than any other company in the country.” He also pointed out that despite the same tactics from activists on Black Friday last year, “we had our best Black Friday events ever.”

Walmart workers and community allies today announced plans leading up to and on Black Friday, saying 1500 protests are scheduled for across the country, in what is set to be one of the largest mobilizations of working families in American history. Workers are calling for an end to illegal retaliation, and for Walmart to publicly commit to improving labor standards, such as providing workers with more full time work and $25,000 a year. As the country's largest retailer and employer, Walmart makes more than $17 billion in profits, with the wealth of the Walton family totaling over $144.7 billion - equal to that of 42% of Americans. "Black Friday 2013 will mark a turning point in American history," said Dorian Warren, associate professor at Columbia University. "Fifteen hundred protests against Walmart is unprecedented. Working families are fighting back like never before - and have the support of America behind them. Emboldened by news from Walmart CEO Bill Simon that as many as 825,000 workers are paid less than $25,000 a year, workers and supporters are calling for better jobs nationwide. Major protests are planned in more than a dozen metropolitan cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Bay Area, Seattle, Sacramento, Miami, Minneapolis and Washington, DC.

The world’s largest private employer faces escalations on multiple fronts Monday, including strikes by its employees in Ohio and workers who haul its goods in California; media scrutiny on an employee-to-employee charity initiative; and labor groups’ announcements that California Department of Occupational Safety and Health complaints have been filed against two Wal-Mart-contracted warehouses, and the National Labor Relations Board is prepared to issue a complaint against Wal-Mart. OUR Walmart, the non-union labor group closely tied to the United Food & Commercial Workers union, announced on an afternoon conference call that the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency charged with enforcing and interpreting private sector labor law, is ready to issue a complaint against the retail giant. According to OUR Walmart, the complaint – similar to an indictment – would address “threats by managers and the company’s national spokesperson for discouraging workers from striking and for taking illegal disciplinary actions against workers who were on legally protected strikes.” As I’ve reported, a top Wal-Mart spokesperson stated publicly prior to last year’s “Black Friday” strike that “depending on the circumstances, there could be consequences” if workers did not show up to work that day; in the weeks following a longer, smaller June strike, at least 20 participants were fired.

Dozens of workers at a Florida Wal-Mart walked off the job this morning, mounting the first Wal-Mart store work stoppage since the firings of 20 workers who participated in an extended June strike. “I don’t have fear,” striker Jose Bello told Salon in Spanish. “I don’t have any fear. They could punish us – we’re used to that.” Bello said that at least 80 of the employees at his Hialeah, Fla., store had joined the strike, which began at 9 a.m. Wal-Mart did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “I decided a long time ago to do this, but we needed to come together as a group to make the decision,” said Bello. He described the strike as a response to “abuse and discrimination” by managers, as well as insufficient hours.

Warehouse workers in Mira Loma, California were vindicated after the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued a dozen citations against a Walmart-contractor for a range of unsafe and illegal working conditions. Twenty warehouse workers filed a complaint with Cal/OSHA in May citing blocked fire exits, inadequate access to restrooms, falling boxes of merchandise and more. Thursday the state agency notified Olivet International, the warehousing contractor, of 12 citations, including six of a more serious nature. Fines total $34,400. “We knew the conditions at the warehouse were not right,” said Cesar Garcia, who works at the warehouse. “Many of us were scared to speak out about the dangers we faced at work. We risked a lot, but we were right.”