Walmart Watch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, May 6, 2013

OUR WALMART MEMBERS ANNOUNCE PLAN TO TAKE THEIR CONCERNS TO EXECUTIVES, SHAREHOLDERS AT WALMART ANNUAL MEETING IN BENTONVILLE, AR

Associates will call on Walmart to address retaliation, poverty wages and scheduling concerns that hurt workers, customers, and the economy

On Sunday, members from the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) announced their plans to take their concerns about pay and working conditions, as well as Walmart’s retaliation against workers who speak out about these issues, directly to executives and shareholders at Walmart’s annual shareholder meeting on June 7, 2013 in Bentonville, AR. Citing Walmart’s $16 billion in profits every year, associates during a Sunday afternoon live stream broadcast announced that OUR Walmart members would caravan from across the country to Bentonville to call on the company to raise wages and increase access to full time hours so that no worker at Walmart makes less than $25,000 per year.

Though Walmart has paid lip service to workers’ concerns since the historic Black Friday strikes last fall, the company has yet to take meaningful action to address the problems plaguing associates and customers at stores across the country. Walmart workers have called on members of Walmart’s Board of Directors to meet with them, but have been met with silence. Now, members of OUR Walmart are taking the next step, confronting Walmart board members wherever they can in an effort to be heard.

“While the Walton family has the wealth of 42 percent of American families combined, many associates like me can’t even support our families without relying on government support,” said OUR Walmart member Mary Pat. “In addition to low pay, the company’s scheduling practices leave many of us with inadequate and erratic hours—making it impossible to afford even basic necessities, or even find a second job.”

In the weeks leading up to the meeting, workers and community supporters will call for the Board of Directors and the Walton family to be responsible to their employees and to the economy by creating good quality jobs for workers at its stores, warehouses, and along the supply chain.

OUR Walmart members and their supporters are also bringing their message directly to members of the Board and the Walton family, before they arrive in Bentonville – speaking at shareholder meetings of other companies where Walmart Directors also sit, and at public speaking events and fundraisers where Board members are present.

“Walmart Board Members like Rob Walton and Greg Penner of the Walton family, Marissa Mayer and Aida Alvarez can do so much more to be leaders in this company and to help change the way Walmart treats workers. We’re telling them that silence is no longer an option,” said OUR Walmart member Colby Harris.

Calls for a change of course and leadership at Walmart have grown in recent months, as the company faces allegations of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations abroad and scrutiny in the U.S. over empty shelves and long lines caused by inadequate staffing.

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UFCW and OUR Walmart have the purpose of helping Wal-Mart employees as individuals or groups in their dealings with Wal-Mart over labor rights and standards and their efforts to have Wal-Mart publically commit to adhering to labor rights and standards. UFCW and OUR Walmart have no intent to have Walmart recognize or bargain with UFCW or OUR Walmart as the representative of Walmart employees.

Last week on April 24th, hundreds of Walmart workers in 200 stores stood up to demand that Walmart honor its public commitment to be more consistent, transparent, and fair in scheduling shifts and hours for workers. They were joined by over 10,000 people taking action online.

Walmart heard their calls.

On the same day, Walmart posted an explanation of why workers have yet to see changes in their stores despite the fact that Walmart made a public commitment to addressing these scheduling issues four months earlier. In the post, Walmart claims that it had initiated a pilot program in two cities and lays out a timeline for expanding the program, stating:

“Walmart is piloting the program in Denver and Fort Smith, Ark., to provide associates with transparent and consistent information on available shifts throughout the store and give them the opportunity to request to work any of those shifts. Associates now have more transparency into available shifts outside of their department… The pilot program, which began Feb. 1, is scheduled to expand to more stores in July and roll out to the company’s more than 4,000 stores by the end of October.”

Since the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) started organizing over a year ago, hours and scheduling issues have been a central issue for workers speaking out for change. Inconsistent hours and erratic schedules often make it difficult for workers to budget and nearly impossible for them to take on a second job or go back to school.

This victory is a major success for Walmart workers and those of us who are standing with them, but we must remain vigilant to ensure that Walmart makes good on its public commitments.

This message was originally posted by our friends at Respect DC.

As we continue the fight to hold Walmart accountable in DC, I wanted to let you know about an opportunity to stand in solidarity with our neighbors in Montgomery County who are facing a similar fight.

Walmart is trying to build a new store in Aspen Hill, just north of DC. Walmart and the developer are trying to get the Montgomery County Council to rapidly re-zone the property so Walmart can build there.

Many residents are opposed to this, so tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30th, at 11:30am, we will be joining our allies there in presenting a petition with nearly 2,000 signatures to Montgomery County Councilmembers saying Walmart is not right for Aspen Hill. You can view and sign the petition here.

Join us tomorrow! The Montgomery County Council is at 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850. If you need a ride, we’ll be leaving from DC around 10:30 and arrive back by 1:30. Email me at organizer@respectdc.org if you’d like to come but need a ride. It is also about 4 blocks from Rockville Metro station on the Red Line.

The following statement from Kalpona Akter, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity was originally published by Warehouse Workers United.

Kalpona is the Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity. She is a former garment worker and is currently in the United States calling on retailers like Walmart, the Gap and Disney to lead on improving working conditions and adopting fires safety standards in Bangladesh.

Today, international worker rights groups are calling for immediate action from international corporations and brands following the horrific news of a deadly collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Savar, in Dhaka Bangladesh. The collapse of the eight-story building that housed five factories and a mall, has reportedly killed at least 80 people and injured over 800. For the last month Kalpona has been touring the United States with Sumi Abedin, a young garment worker who jumped out of a third story window to save her life as the Tazreen factory burned killing on 112.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of workers lost in this tragic event.

“It must be said, these tragedies can be prevented by multinational corporations like Walmart and the Gap that operate in Bangladesh. Because of these companies’ negligence and willful ignorance, garment workers are in danger every day because of the unsafe working conditions.

“As we learn more details, we will better understand the brands that were manufactured in these factories, but we already know that the largest retailers in the world hold tremendous power to transform conditions for garment workers – mostly young women – in Bangladesh.

“Today’s news is yet another reminder that Walmart and the Gap must immediately adopt the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement, a transparent and legally binding agreement that includes worker representation, independent building inspections, worker rights training, public disclosure and a long-overdue review of safety standards. The safety agreement is the first step toward ensuring no more lives are lost.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2013

NATIONWIDE COMMUNITY AND WORKER DELEGATIONS CALL ON WALMART STORE MANAGERS, CEO MIKE DUKE TO CORRECT SCHEDULING PROBLEMS

Actions come as concern grows over Walmart’s inability to keep shelves stocked due to inadequate staffing

Today Walmart employees, community supporters, and allies across the country took delegations to more than 150 stores calling on Walmart managers to publicly commit to immediately addressing the scheduling problems that leave many associates unable to care for their families and afford basic necessities like food and rent – and impact their ability to help grow the economy. Walmart’s hours and scheduling practices – which workers and community have repeatedly raised as key concerns– have come under sharp criticism recently from customers and analysts for contributing to empty shelves, backed-up inventory, long lines, as well as weakened reputation and lower store sales at Walmart.

“Even after five years at the company, I’m not getting the hours that I need and want,” said Maria Elena Jefferson. “Even if I wanted to get a second job or go back to school, I couldn’t because Walmart constantly changes my schedule. I’m dedicated to my job and I have years of experience – I want to work full time so that the work gets done well.”

The groups, which include hundreds of Walmart associates and community supporters, delivered a February letter to CEO Mike Duke calling on the executive to address the widespread staffing issues at stores nationwide. With no response at the national level and continued attempts to silence workers who voice their concerns, the groups are calling for Duke’s resignation for a failure of leadership on these critical issues and appealing to individual store managers for more hours and transparent scheduling practices at their stores.

“You can see the problems when you walk into the store – the shelves are empty,” said Derek Sanders of Fremont, CA who has worked at Walmart for seven years. “And in the back room, it’s even worse. We’re two seasons behind on getting things out to the floor. Yet with all the work that needs to be done, I am still only able to get 24 hours of work most weeks. It’s impossible to get all the work done in the time allotted.”

Over the past five years, Walmart has undergone a 5.8 percent decline in employees–more than 82,000 workers.

Insufficient hours and inconsistent scheduling have been central concerns being raised by members of OUR Walmart, the organization of associates calling for a change of course at the company.  In protest of the illegal efforts to silence their voices, associates at 1,000 stores across the country took bold action by going on strike at Walmart on Black Friday with tens of thousands of supporters joining them. Since that time, Walmart has increased its efforts to keep workers quiet, even filing a meritless lawsuit against some workers.

In January 2013, OUR Walmart members won what looked like a victory: Walmart President Bill Simon publicly announced that Walmart would provide more transparency in scheduling and offer part time workers the opportunity to get the hours they so desperately need to make ends meet. Months later, workers report that Walmart has yet to make good on its public commitment to change.

“It’s time for Walmart to make good on its public commitment to workers and to our community,” said Sarita Gupta, the executive director of Jobs with Justice and American Rights at Work. “We cannot strengthen our economy when the country’s largest employer is creating erratic scheduling and inadequate hours that keep hardworking associates from being able to support their families.”

Even with short-staffing impacting store sales, Walmart is still reporting $16 billion in annual profits and the Walton family, which controls the majority of the company, is wealthier than 42 percent of American families – combined.  At the same time, many of its workers are relying on public programs, including food stamps, Medicaid and other healthcare programs to support their families. The most recent Congressional review, which was prior to the recent economic downturn that has seen an uptick in families relying on public supports, estimated a cost of $420,750 tax dollars per year, per standard Walmart store for coverage of food, housing and healthcare assistance that workers are unable to afford on their wages.

Follow the conversation on Twitter at #WMTJobs and see photos at ChangeWalmart.Tumblr.com.

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UFCW and OUR Walmart have the purpose of helping Wal-Mart employees as individuals or groups in their dealings with Wal-Mart over labor rights and standards and their efforts to have Wal-Mart publically commit to adhering to labor rights and standards. UFCW and OUR Walmart have no intent to have Walmart recognize or bargain with UFCW or OUR Walmart as the representative of Walmart employees.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 22, 2013
CONTACT: press@ufcw.org

One Year after New York Times Exposes Walmart Bribery Scandal in Mexico,

Communities around the Globe Call for Investigations, Removal of Walmart CEO and Board Chair from Leadership Posts

Failure of Walmart leadership to prevent and address unethical practices in Mexico, globally documented in new timeline

On the one-year anniversary of the New York Times story that exposed Walmart’s alleged wide-scale use of bribery in Mexico, communities around the globe are submitting ethics complaints to Walmart calling on the company to end its unethical business practices. Citing the failure of Walmart’s leadership to meaningfully address such practices in Mexico and globally, the complaints also demand that Walmart’s Board of Directors remove CEO Mike Duke and Board Chair Rob Walton.

In addition to over $24 million in alleged bribes were handed out to advance the company’s plans in Mexico revealed in the Times, possible Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations have been identified in Brazil, India, and China. Recent reporting shows that this failure of leadership is not only hurting the Walmart’s reputation, but also costing the company millions in investigation expenses.

“Walmart’s rapid expansion has remade the Mexican retailing landscape and now it turns out that bribery may have played a large role,” said Héctor de la Cueva, general coordinator for the Center for Labor Research and Union Consultation. “Many businesses closed, jobs were lost, and livelihoods disrupted as a result, and for many of those impacted it is impossible to seek redress.”

UNI Global Union is holding a one-day meeting in Mexico City to address Walmart’s treatment of Mexican communities and issue a set of demands.

Read the letters from Bangladesh, India, two complaints from Mexico (the second can be found here), and the United States.

“In my own country of India, Walmart is embroiled in a number of scandals,” said Hawkers Joint Action Committee member Dharmendra Kumar. “Many Indians have opposed our government’s decision to open our markets to companies like Walmart – a company that has allegedly contributed to the problem of corruption that plagues Indian society. Walmart must move toward an ethical business model.”

“As an advocate for garment workers, I’m familiar with Walmart’s unethical behavior,” said Kalpona Akter of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity. “Hundreds of garment workers died in the Tazreen garment factory making Walmart clothing, and yet Walmart has refused to take responsibility. And from the December 5, 2012 New York Times I learned that back in 2011 that a Walmart official played a lead role in blocking an effort that might have prevented a tragedy like Tazreen from happening in the first place.”

Since April 2012, more details on Walmart’s unethical practices in Mexico have come to light. A second New York Times article published in December of last year indicated that top executives in Walmart de Mexico were not only aware of but also authorized the practice of using bribes to advance their business and personal interests. The Walmart 1% website, which addresses the influence of members of Walmart’s Board and the Walton family which has controlling interests in the company, recently released a timeline spanning 2005 to present, which documents the involvement of top Walmart executives implicated in the scandal – including Chairman Rob Walton and CEO Mike Duke—in ignoring and covering up concerns.

View the timeline here.

“It’s frustrating that in instances where Associates raise legitimate concerns about working conditions, the reaction is swift and unjust, while justice has been all but absent in the case of the Mexican bribery scandal,” said Walmart associate Gerardo Paladan in his complaint to the company.

In response to the company’s inaction, longtime Walmart worker Venanzi Luna has re-launched her petition calling for the resignation of Walmart CEO Mike Duke and Board Chair Rob Walton. Last year, the petition received nearly 20,000 signatures before being delivered to company executives at the annual shareholder meeting.

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UFCW and OUR Walmart have the purpose of helping Wal-Mart employees as individuals or groups in their dealings with Wal-Mart over labor rights and standards and their efforts to have Wal-Mart publically commit to adhering to labor rights and standards. UFCW and OUR Walmart have no intent to have Walmart recognize or bargain with UFCW or OUR Walmart as the representative of Walmart employees.

This was originally posted by our friends at Warehouse Workers United.

Exactly one month ago, on March 4, garment workers in Nicaragua were brutally beaten during a peaceful protest when the company they work for – SAE-A, a Walmart supplier – paid a mob of more than 300 other workers to attack these employees, using scissors, metal pipes, and other weapons.

Sign the petition.

This courageous group of workers is fighting to improve their working conditions, demand respect and win better wages. They are trying to form a new union, but in the process they are experiencing extreme retaliation. Workers have been bribed and 16 have been illegally fired in the company’s efforts to silence them. The brutal beating was the last straw.

Sign the petition and tell Walmart to demand its suppliers reinstate the workers, end all violent and illegal practices inside the factory and reimburse workers for medical bills and stolen property that resulted from the violent attack March 4.

Background

More than 8,000 workers produce camisoles, T-shirts and lycra clothing for Walmart and other retailers at this one garment factory inside an export processing zone in Tipitapa, Nicaragua. They are paid less than $1 per hour. They are mistreated, regularly yelled at, denied trips to the bathroom and more.

The Worker Rights Consortium, which monitors garment factories, conducted an investigation of the violent attack. Facts in this article and petition are taken from its report, which you can find here.

The following blog post was written OUR Walmart member Rose Campbell of Chicago.

This year on Equal Pay Day, instead of talking about what I could have done with all the money my male counterparts made, I want to talk about the reality of “low-wage” work.

Although few people may realize, the vast majority of workers earning minimum wage in this country are women. In our economy, low-wage work is often another term for what is traditionally seen as women’s work.

I work at Walmart, the world’s largest private employer. My female coworkers and I make up a large portion of the low-wage workforce in our economy. I believe that in order to talk about equal pay, we have to talk about Walmart.

As a grandmother of 14, I would love to live in my own apartment or house where my family could come to visit me. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to do so. After four years of working at Walmart, I make $9.60/hr. Not only is my pay low, but I never receive a full 40 hours a week. Even though I have full-time status, some weeks I get as few as 19 hours. No one can get by on $180 a week in Chicago.

Because I was struggling to make ends meet and couldn’t buy a car, I moved in with a friend who lived close enough to Walmart that I could walk to work. At 58 years old, I am not only forced to share a room, but to share a bed with my friend.

This was not my American dream. And I’m not the only one struggling to get by. I watch my coworkers struggle with the same financial challenges every day.

In 2001, women in hourly positions were found to earn $1.16 less per hour than the already modest wages of our male counterparts. Perhaps most disturbingly, instead of addressing the issues raised in various gender discrimination law suits, Walmart has actively lobbied against equal pay for women – including the Lilly Ledbetter Act, paycheck fairness and paid sick leave.

This is one of the many reasons that I have chosen to stand up. Last year, I joined the worker-led Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) and chose to go on strike the night before Black Friday. It was a hard choice and I was scared, but I believe that until we stand up together and start naming the names of those who wish to hold us down, nothing will change. I hope my actions as a Walmart worker help to move us one step closer to equality.

Ever since its inception, members of the worker-led Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) have been standing up to Walmart’s attempts to silence workers who speak out for change. This includes filing unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board when Walmart seeks to intimidate or silence vocal workers involved with OUR Walmart through methods such as unfair disciplinary measures, cutting hours or even firing workers.

So far, Walmart has settled or the Labor Board has issued complaints in favor of several OUR Walmart workers. The settlements have required the company to post public notices that it would no longer engage in illegal behavior such as trying to limit workers’ right to discuss wages, working conditions, safety issues, etc. and acknowledging that workers have the right to participate in group actions or discussions to improve their workplace.

This is just one small step in the larger fight to protect workers’ freedom to speak out for change at Walmart. The company is notorious for its attempts to silence workers, but OUR Walmart is demonstrating that it will not tolerate these actions and is instead standing up for workers’ legally protected right to take collective action.