Monthly Archives: December 2017

Making Change at Walmart (MCAW) released a 30-second TV commercial on Nov. 22 as part of its multi-pronged holiday campaign denouncing Walmart’s “war on the holidays.” The ad ran during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on local NBC affiliate markets in Sacramento, Phoenix, Madison, and Cincinnati.

The ad is part of MCAW’s six-week holiday initiative to highlight the retail giant’s “war on the holidays,” which included grassroots actions and social media efforts in Indianapolis, California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Delaware, and New York during the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Coordinated actions will continue this week at Walmart locations in at least 10 cities across the U.S. to highlight Walmart’s failure to do what every responsible employer does – pay its workers holiday pay.

Up until last year, Walmart workers who worked on a holiday received their regular hourly wage plus additional pay, equal to the average daily wage in the 12 weeks leading up to the holiday. In 2016, Walmart changed its policy and eliminated holiday pay for all workers.

The script of TV ad titled “This Thanksgiving, Be Thankful That You Don’t Work For Walmart” reads as follows:

These are all real Walmart workers

Afraid to speak out publicly or show their faces.

They’re faced with a choice of working with no holiday pay on Thanksgiving

Instead of spending time with their daughter,

Or to see her grandfather,

Or to be with her four-year-old.

Hard-working Walmart workers

With no holiday pay,

And no chance for a better life.

So, this Thanksgiving, give thanks for one thing,

That you don’t work at Walmart.

You can view the ad here.

From hosting “giving trees” to organizing food drives, UFCW locals are kicking into high gear to help make the holidays a little brighter for those in need in communities across the country.

In the northeast, UFCW Local 1500 is organizing a Toy Drive for the John Theissen Children’s Foundation. Since 1992, the foundation has collected over 920,000 new toys and donated them to sick and underprivileged children in hospitals and child care facilities.

UFCW Local 152’s annual Teddy Bear Drive collects stuffed animals for Santa to give away at the holiday dinner dance for ARC of Burlington County, which provides a variety of disability services that include adult day care and in home supportive services.

In November, RWDSU/UFCW Local 338 delivered 200 turkeys donated by its members to several food pantries and charitable organizations throughout New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County as part of the union’s annual “Turkey Drive.”

RWDSU/UFCW Local 338 members weren’t the only ones out making sure everyone could have a nice holiday feast. On the other side of the country, UFCW Local 1428 members in California held a turkey giveaway over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Are you a UFCW member with a story of how union members in your area are giving back this holiday season? If so, please drop us a line at submissions@ufcw.org or send us your story on our Facebook page and let us know how you are making a difference in your community.