Unions back Walmart workers

Workers from local labor unions marched at Truckee Meadows Walmart stores on Thanksgiving, saying they were speaking for Walmart workers who risked firing if they spoke out themselves.

Similar protests took place at Walmart stores across the nation. The mammoth chain is noted for low wages and benefits.

“I’m out here to support the workers, not just in Reno but nationally,” said Judy Jensen, a member of the Communications Workers of America local.

Jensen also said, “There’s a lot of intimidation going on. I think Walmart can do a much better job of paying their people. … You know, they say they give them health care, but there have been at least three studies that show that their workers—because of the wages—are having to live on public assistance.”

Ron Schoenherr, a member of the Operating Engineers union, also pointed at poor health benefits as a factor in the Raley’s grocery strike. He said Walmart’s poor wages and benefits force other stores to have similar policies in order to compete—a “race to the bottom,” he called it.

“Raley’s wants to reduce their medical benefits because their overhead is too high,” He said. “They can no longer compete with Walmart.”

Jensen urged shoppers to do research on Walmart and then go to other stores.

“If you take their newspaper ads, a lot of other stores will match their prices.”

Walmart claimed its best “Black Friday” sales ever, though the statistics it released—nearly 10 million transactions—included sales on Thursday evening.

In a prepared statement, Walmart CEO Bill Simon said, “Only 26 protests occurred at stores last night, and many of them did not include any Walmart associates.”

But unions said there were more than a thousand protesters who participated in events in 42 states.

“We estimate that less than 50 associates participated in the protest nationwide,” Simon said. “In fact, this year, roughly the same number of associates missed their scheduled shift as last year.” His comments conflicted with a statement from his own corporation that the number of workers who did not appear for a scheduled shift declined by over 60 percent compared to last year.

In Paramount, Calif., three Walmart workers were arrested at a protest.

In Arizona, a Catholic charity—Tucson’s Casa Maria Free Kitchen—rejected a $2,000 donation from Walmart, calling it “blood money.” Charity overseer Brian Flagg told the Arizona Daily Star, “We feel that even though Walmart has low prices, they pay lousy wages, they’re anti-union, and they have a detrimental effect on the survival of small businesses.”

One Reno labor activist noted that the protest at the Glendale Avenue Walmart took place across the street from the Grand Sierra Resort, which is unionized.