Monthly Archives: July 2016

On July 7, Making Change at Walmart (MCAW), with help from UFCW and RWDSU locals, held rallies in New York City, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., as part of its campaign to pressure Walmart to withdraw its support of the upcoming Republican National Convention and denounce Donald Trump’s racist, xenophobic and misogynistic statements.

“How long will it take for Walmart to denounce hate? After 42 days of Walmart staying silent on whether it will support Donald Trump and the Republican National Convention, a day of action is needed,” said Jess Levin, communications director at MCAW. “Walmart, as the nation’s largest retailer, has a responsibility to distance itself from Trump’s long history of racist, misogynistic, anti-veteran, and Islamophobic statements. And until it does the right thing, our campaign will make sure people are asking if Walmart’s values are the same as Donald Trump’s values.”

The campaign includes a new online video called “Do the Right Thing” that makes clear the shocking level of Trump’s offensive remarks, and shows how major companies like Apple, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo have all denounced Trump by removing their support for the  Republican National Convention. The video also asks the American people to sign a letter addressed to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon that asks him to stop supporting or donating to the Republican National Convention due to Trump’s offensive statements and actions.

UFCW Locals 312, 400, 540, 648, 881, 888, 1500, 1546, 2013 and RWDSU Locals 338 and 1103 participated in the rallies.

Last week, workers at the Transdev company in Essex County, New Jersey, ratified their first RWDSU contract by an overwhelming margin. The Transdev workers include minibus and van drivers, along with schedulers and reservationists, who transport seniors in Essex County.

The Transdev workers joined the RWDSU last year to address an unaffordable health care program, low wages, and limited time off with benefits. The new contract addresses these issues.

The agreement increases wages of the lowest-earning workers by $1.45 an hour incrementally in an 18 month period. Other workers will see increases between $1 and $1.50 per hour. The employees – who, prior to negotiations, only had 40 hours of paid time off – will now receive up to 128 hours of paid time off.

“The concept of a union was all new to me. I had an opportunity to sit at the bargaining table as an equal with management and discuss the concerns of the drivers. At the end of the negotiations, we made several improvements that could be measured,” said Transdev employee Tawana Smith.