Walmart employees are protesting over the 15 days leading up to Black Friday with the aim of raising the retail giant’s minimum to $15 an hour, reports Reuters. While the 15 days for $15 is a catchy tactic, those labor activists are also fighting for expanded full-time opportunities and better benefits for workers.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2015 will mark the fourth year in a row that Walmart has been hit by major protests on the biggest shopping day of the year in the U.S., and the retailer certainly hoped it could escape yet another round of protests when it boosted the minimum wage to $9 an hour last spring. No such luck for the retailer; in fact, it will likely face 1,000 protesters across all 50 states. More than 100 workers are also setting up to organize and fast in front of Walmart’s stores, gaining major visibility for the struggle workers face putting food on the table with the low wages they make.
One worker explained to Reuters that she is fasting across the full 15 days, and claims that others are doing a liquid-only fast or going without food on most days.
In years past, protests outside of Walmart were organized by OUR Walmart; that organization, however, broke into several smaller subgroups back in in September. This year, a group under the leadership of former members of United Foods and Commercial Workers International Union will be organizing the efforts.
Walmart has responded by publicizing its intention to invest $2.7 billion in wages next year, and issued the following statement: “False attacks and media stunts from the unions have become an annual tradition this time of year.”
