Wal-Mart workers were set to protest in more than 20 cities on June 4 as efforts by low-wage workers to increase their pay continue.
Fast-food and retail workers have been staging occasional strikes in cities across the country for over a year in an effort to boost wages and improve working conditions.
The Wal-Mart strikes coincide with Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s annual shareholders week. The annual shareholders meeting is set for June 6.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) is backing a group called Organization United for Respect at Walmart, or OUR Walmart, which is taking the protests online as well as to the streets.
Those taking part in the protests are given instructions on a website, including how to handle protests in Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Colorado, and Maryland, where the website says judges have ordered nonassociates who are agents of the UFCW or OUR Walmart to stay off Wal-Mart property except to shop. Also, a California judge has barred nonassociate agents of the UFCW and OUR Walmart from engaging in certain activities inside Wal-Mart stores, according to the website.
“We want to make sure we create as many actions at stores and online as possible, raising the issue of the Walmart Economy in advance of the annual meeting and stand in solidarity with the OUR Walmart strikes happening on June 4th, 2014,” the website says.
A Wal-Mart spokesperson was quoted in an article on money.cnn.com as saying the union’s action isn’t uncommon. “It’s not unusual to see the same union group stage events around our shareholders meeting,” the spokesman said. “There’s also a reason that the associates who are taking part in the demonstrations work for us. They know what a good job is.”
In addition to pay of at least $25,000 a year, the protesters want protection for employees who participate in strikes and speak out on other issues. “OUR Walmart members will be striking in key locations across the country to protest Walmart’s illegal retaliation against Associates who have spoken up about inequality and have struck,” the website says.
In January, the National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against Wal-Mart alleging that it had violated the rights of employees who took part in protests in 13 states.