(Photo: Making Change at Walmart)
Jun 05, 2014
Under the banner of "Walmart moms," mothers who work at Walmart launched strikes in 20 cities across the United States on Wednesday to protest what they say are poverty wages and routine policies of retaliation against workers who organize.
From Chicago to Pittsburgh to Miami, the mass actions were part of rolling strikes launched last Friday by Our Walmart members. They are slated to continue through Walmart's shareholders meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas on Friday.
The company has worked hard to cultivate the image of a family-friendly establishment, even setting up a web page dedicated to "creating community" between "Walmart moms"--a term that has become a common buzzword to refer to a subset of swing voters in U.S. presidential elections.
But the vast majority of real moms who work for Walmart are trapped in low-wage, unstable jobs that make it nearly impossible to save money to protect their families against hardship. A majority of Walmart moms earn less than $25,000 a year and, according to a new study released by the think tank Demos, their problems include likely gender discrimination, mistreatment of pregnant workers, unstable and unpredictable work schedules, and more.
Furthermore, moms and other workers face a climate of fierce retaliation for trying to improve their workplace conditions, including illegal firings of workers who participate in strikes and protests to improve their conditions. Single moms are numbered among those targeted with reprisal.
Critics charge that the company, which is the largest retailer and biggest private employer of women in the U.S., is setting a low standard for women's rights in the workplace that affects conditions across the retail industry.
Walmart mom Evelin Cruz of the Pico Rivera, California store declared in a statement, "I'm striking for Barbara, for Tiffany and for other moms who Walmart has tried to silence. Our families cannot continue to struggle on Walmart's poverty pay and constantly changing schedules while Walmart and the Walton family make billions from our work."
Updates and reports on the protests are being posted to Twitter:
Tweets about "#WalmartStrikers"
_____________________
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
Under the banner of "Walmart moms," mothers who work at Walmart launched strikes in 20 cities across the United States on Wednesday to protest what they say are poverty wages and routine policies of retaliation against workers who organize.
From Chicago to Pittsburgh to Miami, the mass actions were part of rolling strikes launched last Friday by Our Walmart members. They are slated to continue through Walmart's shareholders meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas on Friday.
The company has worked hard to cultivate the image of a family-friendly establishment, even setting up a web page dedicated to "creating community" between "Walmart moms"--a term that has become a common buzzword to refer to a subset of swing voters in U.S. presidential elections.
But the vast majority of real moms who work for Walmart are trapped in low-wage, unstable jobs that make it nearly impossible to save money to protect their families against hardship. A majority of Walmart moms earn less than $25,000 a year and, according to a new study released by the think tank Demos, their problems include likely gender discrimination, mistreatment of pregnant workers, unstable and unpredictable work schedules, and more.
Furthermore, moms and other workers face a climate of fierce retaliation for trying to improve their workplace conditions, including illegal firings of workers who participate in strikes and protests to improve their conditions. Single moms are numbered among those targeted with reprisal.
Critics charge that the company, which is the largest retailer and biggest private employer of women in the U.S., is setting a low standard for women's rights in the workplace that affects conditions across the retail industry.
Walmart mom Evelin Cruz of the Pico Rivera, California store declared in a statement, "I'm striking for Barbara, for Tiffany and for other moms who Walmart has tried to silence. Our families cannot continue to struggle on Walmart's poverty pay and constantly changing schedules while Walmart and the Walton family make billions from our work."
Updates and reports on the protests are being posted to Twitter:
Tweets about "#WalmartStrikers"
_____________________
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
Under the banner of "Walmart moms," mothers who work at Walmart launched strikes in 20 cities across the United States on Wednesday to protest what they say are poverty wages and routine policies of retaliation against workers who organize.
From Chicago to Pittsburgh to Miami, the mass actions were part of rolling strikes launched last Friday by Our Walmart members. They are slated to continue through Walmart's shareholders meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas on Friday.
The company has worked hard to cultivate the image of a family-friendly establishment, even setting up a web page dedicated to "creating community" between "Walmart moms"--a term that has become a common buzzword to refer to a subset of swing voters in U.S. presidential elections.
But the vast majority of real moms who work for Walmart are trapped in low-wage, unstable jobs that make it nearly impossible to save money to protect their families against hardship. A majority of Walmart moms earn less than $25,000 a year and, according to a new study released by the think tank Demos, their problems include likely gender discrimination, mistreatment of pregnant workers, unstable and unpredictable work schedules, and more.
Furthermore, moms and other workers face a climate of fierce retaliation for trying to improve their workplace conditions, including illegal firings of workers who participate in strikes and protests to improve their conditions. Single moms are numbered among those targeted with reprisal.
Critics charge that the company, which is the largest retailer and biggest private employer of women in the U.S., is setting a low standard for women's rights in the workplace that affects conditions across the retail industry.
Walmart mom Evelin Cruz of the Pico Rivera, California store declared in a statement, "I'm striking for Barbara, for Tiffany and for other moms who Walmart has tried to silence. Our families cannot continue to struggle on Walmart's poverty pay and constantly changing schedules while Walmart and the Walton family make billions from our work."
Updates and reports on the protests are being posted to Twitter:
Tweets about "#WalmartStrikers"
_____________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.