Walmart Walkout: Workers Plan To Stage Protest On Black Friday

A group of Walmart employees are planning to stage a walkout on Black Friday, arguably the retail store's biggest holiday shopping day.

Walmart Walkout on Black Friday 2012

Headed by the groups called Making Change at Walmart, OUR Walmart and Corporate Action Network, the walkout aims to end what they claim are retaliatory tactics against employees who seek out better working conditions in the world's largest retail store.

"No matter how hard we work, my husband and I can’t catch up on our bills," said Charlene Fletcher, an OUR Walmart leader from Duarte, California.

Charlene and her husband Greg both work at Walmart. Greg has been there for six years, and Charlene began 2-1/2 years ago. They have two young children, ages 2 and 5.

"We just found out that we are both scheduled to work on Thanksgiving Day instead of being home with our kids," Charlene said. "It’s heartbreaking to miss the holiday with them, and it’s just one more way that Walmart is showing its disregard for our families. But when our co-workers speak out about problems like these, Walmart turns their schedules upside down, cuts their hours and even fires people. We’re going on strike for an end to Walmart’s attempts to silence its workers."

As Black Friday approaches, Walmart workers and warehouse workers walked off the job Wednesday and Thursday in protest of the company’s attempts to silence workers who speak out for better jobs.

Walmart workers from cities across the United States announced that these strikes are the first of 1000 protests, including more strikes, rallies and online actions, at Walmart stores leading up to and on Black Friday.  

"Walmart’s workers are dedicated to giving 100 percent to the jobs that they do," said Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director of the Center for Community Change. "The company must be as dedicated to its workers as it is to its profit margin."

In October, Walmart workers held the a strike against the mega-retailer which spread to in more than 12 cities and with the support of national and local leaders, held protests at more than 200 stores. Since then, workers have walked off the job in Richmond, CA and Dallas, TX and other upcoming strikes and protests are expected at stores in Chicago, Miami, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C.