Walmart Protesters Arrested
Twenty three people that engaged in a protest against Walmart’s labor conditions and wages were arrested in Pico Rivera, California, eleven miles southeast of Los Angeles. OUR Walmart organized the protest that drew hundreds of participants this week. The main thrust of the protest was against Walmart’s low wages, and the company’s alleged habit of retaliating against employees who speak out against working conditions.
As reported by The Inquisitr, this was the first ever sit down protest, where workers actually sat down inside the store with tape over their mouths. The tape was to signify the silence they are forced into for fear of retaliation by the retail giant. Reports vary, but according to the Huffington Post, somewhere between one half and two thirds of Walmart employees make less than $25,000 per year. George Miller (D-Calif) points out the problem with these large numbers of potentially underpaid employees.
“There are only two places that workers get their income — they either get it from their employer, or they get it from the taxpayer, in the form of public assistance. That’s basic economics. A decent wage is [the workers’] demand. A fair wage. A livable wage. I think Americans understand the power of their case. They understand it when they walk into a Walmart.”
A report issued by his office earlier this year estimated that a single Walmart store could account for nearly $1 million in public assistance for the subclass known as the working poor.
The protesters in Pico Rivera were arrested after the protest moved from the store to the street. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the arrested protesters were detained for blocking traffic in a nearby intersection by sitting in a circle on the streets. The Sheriff’s Department contends that the protesters were given ample opportunity to comply with orders to disperse. The protesters were cited with failure to disperse and released.
Walmart workers have been protesting and striking more often in the last several years. The protesters efforts are often instigated, or at least supported, by the non-profit group OUR Walmart. OUR Walmart is, in turn, supported by the labor union United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). They contend that Walmart grossly underpays and under-employs its workers. PolitiFact verifies the claim that the Walton family, owners of Walmart, possess more wealth than the bottom 42 percent of all Americans combined. OUR Walmart and workers are promising the biggest strikes ever for Black Friday of this year. It’s estimated that 1,600 stores may be affected. Will the protests result in more arrests? Only time will tell.
