Posts Categorized: Legislation and Politics

Making Change at Walmart (MCAW) recently uncovered documents which show that the retail giant knowingly sold their old store location in Brownsville, Texas, for $4.5 million in 2016 to a company that would likely lease the building to be used as a child immigrant detention center. MCAW, along with Latino groups and allies, held actions in Chicago, Dallas and San Diego on June 20 to protest the retail giant after the documents were uncovered.

Walmart recently claimed they “had no idea” their store “would go on to be used in such a disturbing way,” but documents prove that a company known for detaining immigrant children was named in the sales deed as the financial lender in the sales transaction.

“Instead of preventing its old location from being used as a child detainment center, Walmart saw this as an opportunity to make a profit at the expense of children,” said MCAW communications director Amy Ritter.

Photo by Kjetil Ree via Creative Commons.

UFCW International President Marc Perrone issued a statement on June 27 in response to the Supreme Court’s 5 to 4 decision in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31 that eliminates fair share fees for public employees who are covered by collectively negotiated contracts.

Perrone’s statement reads as follows:

“This decision will lead to increased income inequality and needlessly make it more difficult for every hard-working union family to build a better life.

“Unions like ours offer a true path for people to earn higher pay and high-quality benefits that are affordable.

“While the Supreme Court has chosen to ignore the value unions offer and the good we do, we will never stop proving the incredible good that comes to hard-working men and women when they unite together.”