walmart

Photo: Lisa Lopez with Jobs with Justice and American Rights at Work Executive Director Sarita Gupta in Washington, DC

Lisa Lopez is a deli associate for Walmart in Central Florida. Last November, as Walmart associates across the country walked off the job on Black Friday to protest Walmart’s unfair labor practices, Lopez was the only worker to walk out at her store. But she was joined by community allies - many mobilized by Central Florida Jobs with Justice - including Congressman Alan Grayson.

Walmart was quick to retaliate. Two weeks later on December 5th, her floor manager called her in for a “coaching”—Walmart’s term for a disciplinary meeting with a supervisor.

“Once I realized it was a coaching, I asked to have another associate come in to sit with me,” said Lopez. Company policy permits for one associate to have another join them during a coaching. “He said no. Then he asked me to sign a document saying I’d been coached.”

Striking warehouse workers in Southern California and outside of Chicago in Elwood, Illinois went to the offices and/or home of Walmart’s senior executives and board members calling on them to take responsibility for the poor working conditions and unfair labor practices the workers endure in warehouses dedicated to moving and transporting Walmart goods and merchandise.

“Walmart claims it holds its contractors and suppliers to the highest standards and expects them to comply with the law, but when we speak out about it, we get retaliated against and Walmart ignores us,” said David Garcia, a striking warehouse worker and father of two, who although has worked for six years at the same warehouse is still only considered a “temporary” worker because of how the industry outsources and operates with temp agencies. 

This supports what appears to be a growing trend of large corporations to increase the numbers of contingent workers, both direct and throughout their supply/distribution chains. 

Warehouse Workers United filed a complaint yesterday at the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration to bring attention to the dangerous working conditions for warehouse workers in a Riverside warehouse that moves all Walmart supplies.

Workers have been working in dark metal containers with little water and ventilation. They have had to deal with threats, injuries, and a lack of health security that comes from the lack of care for the workers. They state that there has been a black layer of soot on the floor of the warehouse which has reportedly led to nose bleeds and circulates through the open air facility.

“I’m not just doing this for me and my family,” said Jose Gonzalez. “I am doing this for everyone who works at the warehouse. What we deal with is not fair, it’s not humane. I am not afraid. We have to say something.”

Following Walmart’s ongoing refusal to meet with the guestworkers to negotiate protections for guestworkers on its supply chain—in spite of 142,000 Change.org petitions asking them to do so—the workers held a 24-hour fast on June 30 outside the penthouse home of Walmart board member Michelle Burns in New York City.

UPDATE: Tell Walmart: Promise Ana no Walmart supplier will harm her family!

In an exciting pivot from the shareholder spring, 99% crawfish workers in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana are organizing not only targeting their immediate employer, but the also demanding action from the 1%ers at Walmart who profit from their work.  Guest workers filed a U.S. Department of Labor complaint against CJ's Seafood earlier today in Louisiana after walking out over egregious conditions, receiving physical threats for not working fast enough and after the employer threatened violence against their families back in Mexico after workers contacted law enforcement out of desperation.  CJ's Seafood is a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), the No 1. U.S. retailer.

“My husband and I have been coming to work at this plant for five years. This year our oldest son came too. We’ve never spoken out because we were afraid, but I’m sick and tired of being humiliated year after year—even more now that our son is here—while Mike [Leblanc] threatens us and him.” said Silvia Alfaro Walle

Crawfish workers report forced labor, discrimination, wage & hour violations to Dep’t of Labor

NEW ORLEANS, LA—Walmart supplier C.J.’s Seafood has subjected 40 Mexican guestworkers on H-2B visas to forced labor, wage and hour violations, and discrimination, according to a worker complaint to the Department of Labor to be filed on Thursday, June 6. The workers will detail their charges and call on Walmart to eliminate forced labor among its seafood suppliers at a press conference at a New Orleans-area Sam’s Club at on June 6.

A group of workers went on strike from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana-based C.J.’s Seafood on June 4, reporting that the employer and supervisors have forced them to work up to 24-hour shifts with no overtime pay, locked them in the plant, threatened them with beatings to make them work faster, and threatened violence against their families back in Mexico after workers contacted law enforcement out of desperation.

C.J.’s Seafood sells an estimated 85% of its crawfish to Walmart’s Sam’s Club stores.

“Once when I was getting my pay check, the boss showed me that he had a gun in his desk. I think he wanted me to know that he was armed because I’m the kind of person that stands up for my rights.” – Guestworker Rosendo Castillo, 52

On Sunday, April 21st, the New York Times reported allegations of widespread bribery by Wal-Mart's Mexican subsidiary, Wal-Mart de Mexico, in order to achieve fast growth in the country over the past decade. The article went on to show how top Wal-Mart officials were aware of the allegations.

Last week workers and community members responded with calls for accountability and an end to corruption and cover-ups. Venanzi Luna, a Walmart associates and leader in the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart), launched a petition on change.org calling on CEO Mike Duke and Board Chair Rob Walton to re-sign, and for the Board of Directors to launch a thorough and independent investigation. In just a few days, the petition has gained over 5,000 signatures towards its goal of 10,000.

In several major cities, Jobs with Justice chapters joined actions to echo these demands and call on board members to step up and take responsibility for sorting out the mess.

On the evening of April 19, members of the 1% gathered in San Francisco for an exclusive, $1,000 per plate fundraiser. As guests dropped off their cars with the valet and strolled up the sidewalk, they were met by an unexpected sight: a crowd of workers from Hyatt and Walmart had gathered to greet them.

Two of the guests may have recognized their names on the signs the workers were carrying. That’s because the fundraiser was co-hosted by Carrie Walton-Penner, heir to the Walmart fortune and a member of the richest family in the US, the Waltons. Her husband, Greg Penner, sits on the boards of both Walmart and Hyatt.

Despite numerous requests, Mr. Penner has refused to meet with workers from both corporations to discuss their grievances. Unwilling to go unheard, the workers decided to go to him directly.

Watch the video of the action:

Meanwhile on Facebook, dozens of posts were pouring in by the minute to express support for the protesting workers. Targeting Govern for California, Penner’s pet project to leverage influence on state elections, hundreds of posts demanded that the Walton’s meet with their workers and stop using their wealth to buy elections.

(Washington, D.C.) - Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and Chair of Change to Win, today released the following statement in response to the New York Times expose of Walmart’s corruption and purported cover-up by senior company officials. 

“The New York Times story about the Walmart Mexico corruption scandal and reported cover-up exposes serious violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and demands an immediate and thorough investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.   Walmart senior management exposed its lack of corporate morality and internal ethics to workers, shareholders, consumers and community members. 

Extra Extra… read all about it, “ Walmart delays plans for DC” , “The delay apparently was caused by resistance from activists and opponents..” says the Washington Post reported. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/wal-mart-delays-stores-planned-for-the-district/2012/04/06/gIQAfo5g4S_story.html

Respect DC says they have stalled but not stopped Walmart’s plans to conquer DC. "With this new occurrence, comes more opportunity, to inform and engage our community and to strengthen our coalition." said a Respect DC represenative. The coalition plans to host a 99% spring training later this week as a build up to further action aimed at getting Walmart to the table with DC community leaders.

Here is their statement below:

Walmart’s announcement that it will delay the opening of five of six planned stores in the District of Columbia is further proof that the company has not won over city residents. Our coalition talks to community members every day, and they express concerns and reservations about Walmart opening stores without signing a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement, or CBA.