Monthly Archives: May 2014

UFCW and RWDSU members, along with members of OUR Walmart, joined
the Walmart Free NYC campaign at a May Day rally.

UFCW Local 1500, RWDSU Locals 1-S, 3, 338 and 1102, and members of OUR Walmart joined allies and community supporters to participate in a massive rally in New York City to commemorate May Day and workers’ rights. Joining the Walmart Free NYC campaign at the rally and with the support of UFCW and RWDSU members, OUR Walmart member Tyrone Jackson spoke about his experience working at the retail giant and the importance of continuing to fight to raise standards for workers.

“OUR Walmart has thousands of members around the country who are standing up to Walmart’s lies and calling for more respect and better jobs. With your support and continued efforts, I know we’re going to win,” said Jackson.
“I’m here in New York City to celebrate your incredible accomplishment.

You’ve set an incredibly high standard for workers in your city and how you expect companies to behave when they do business here. Part of that accomplishment is you’ve kept Walmart out of New York City. You’ve said unless Walmart improves the way it treats workers like me, it’s not good enough for New York City,” Jackson continued.

An OUR Walmart member got to meet with Walmart Board of Directors member
Aida Alvarez after demonstrating at a Walmart-sponsored gala.

On April 30, Latino Walmart employees and their supporters demonstrated outside a Walmart-sponsored Latino Community Foundation gala where Walmart Board of Directors member Aida Alvarez is chair. There, workers called on Alvarez to discuss their concerns.

After more than two years of refusing to meet with workers, an OUR Walmart member was finally able to meet with Alvarez.

“At the demonstration we were, for the first time, able to speak with Ms. Alvarez to share our concerns about the way Walmart treats its employees. I emphasized to Ms. Alvarez that these are systemic problems which cannot be solved one at a time. They require a change of approach at the highest levels of management,” said OUR Walmart member Venanzi Luna.

“We had a productive conversation that was characterized by mutual respect. We talked about a wide range of issues that impact all Walmart workers and, as a Latina leader at OUR Walmart, also focused on some issues of special concern to Latino workers,” Luna continued.

Walmart workers will continue the conversation with Alvarez and look forward to expanding dialogue with other Walmart board members.