Concord Activists Join “Black Friday” Walmart Protests (InZane Times)

[Omaha Steve]

http://nhlabornews.com/2013/11/concord-activists-join-black-friday-walmart-protests-inzane-times/

By Arnie Alpert | November 29, 2013 | InZane Times / Arnie Alpert



Six hardy activists held signs outside the Concord NH Walmart store this morning in solidarity with workers calling for higher pay and more respectful working conditions. The “Black Friday” protest was one of many across the country intended to put pressure on the nation’s largest employer and the world’s largest retailer, which has built a business model on the lousy labor standards faced by its workers and those who produce the products it sells.

According to Making Change at Walmart, most of the company’s workers earn less than $25,000 a year. Wages are so low that 42% of the company’s Massachusetts workers are eligible for subsidized health insurance, according to figures generated by the state’s Center for Health Information and Analysis.



The Black Friday protests were coordinated by Making Change at Walmart, a campaign challenging Walmart to help rebuild our economy and strengthen working families. Anchored by the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), it unites Walmart employees, union members, small business owners, religious leaders, community organizations, women’s advocacy groups, multi-ethnic coalitions, elected officials and ordinary citizens who believe that changing Walmart is a vital priority for the economic health of our communities. Making Change works closely with OUR Walmart, an organization of employees, many of whom have taken risky actions to insist on a more respectful work environment.

FULL story at link.

About Arnie Alpert
Arnie Alpert is New Hampshire Program Coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee (http://www.afsc.org/nh), a Quaker organization that supports social justice, human rights, and peaceful change. He is a member of UNITE HERE Local 66-L and blogs at http://inzanetimes.wordpress.com.