Bowie Walmart Workers to Join Black Friday Strike
Employees of the retail giant hope to take advantage of one of the year's busiest shopping days.
Employees of D.C.-area Walmart and Sam's Club locations, including the Bowie store, are joining a national strike effort this Black Friday to protest what they view as low wages, poor scheduling practices, and worker intimidation on the part of the retail giant.
The campaign, organized by Making Change at Walmart and linked with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, is planning demonstrations outside dozens of stores nationwide on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
In the D.C. area, Nov. 23 protests are scheduled for Walmart and Sam's Club locations in Laurel, Hyattsville, Bowie, Gaithersburg, Woodlawn, Severn, Clinton, Abingdon, Alexandria, and Fairfax. (Both chains are owned by parent company Walmart Stores, Inc.)
The strike action follows a series of demonstrations last month at Walmarts across the country and around the region, including a walkout of 11 employees at Laurel's Walmart Supercenter.
Walmart has characterized the campaign as an attempt by unions to advance their own political agendas, arguing that it treats and compensates its employees well.
"We have some of the best jobs in retail," spokeasman David Tovar told the New York Times in October. "Our full-time average wage is $12.54 an hour, which is $5.00 above the federal minimum wage."
Jenni Pompi
4:58 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012
Will you still shop at the store on Black Friday?
Edward Ollie
2:45 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
No, as sadly I also work retail and must man the registers. I'm torn. Retail stores have to be open when customers want to shop, unfortunately that means workers have to be at work when other people get to enjoy the holiday.But that's no excuse for companies not treating their employees with the respect and compensation they deserve. These black friday hours are becoming obscene as store tire to one up the competition and the workers are paying the price.
Pink
5:41 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
The hours are insane. I believe many stores offer incentives to work during these hours. I once spoke to a music store manager open 365 days a year. He told me he had a waiting list for employees who wanted to work the holidays, since many of them weren't going to be with family. I imagine in several more years the great majority of stores will be open for Thanksgiving. It is sad but the direction retail seems to be moving.
Barbara Kelly
6:26 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Having worked at another large retailer I say Congrats! to these workers. The company that I worked for (lno longer there) did exactly the same thing. Schedules were changed without notice, you had to work up to 8 hours over your shift if asked--really good for those with small children and the rules changed everyday. I know its a tough economy but these huge companies need to learn to respect their employees. All the companies following this procedure should be exposed and consumers should boycott these retail giants for thier horrible way of treating their employees