Wal-Mart Workers Walk Out

[Gman]

Wal-Mart Workers Walk Out
After the retail giant tried to impose new policies, employees at one store in Florida staged a protest—and won a reprieve

Now, as Wal-Mart rolls out a new round of workplace restrictions, employees at a Wal-Mart Super Center in Hialeah Gardens, Fla., are taking matters into their own hands. On Oct. 16, workers on the morning shift walked out in protest against the new policies and rallied outside the store, shouting "We want justice" and criticizing the company's recent policies as "inhuman." Workers said the number of participants was about 200, or nearly all of the people on the shift.

It's the first time that Wal-Mart has faced a worker-led revolt of such scale, according to both employees and the company. Just as surprising, the company quickly said it would change at least one of the practices that had sparked the protest. Late in the day on Oct. 16, there was some disagreement over which of the new policies would be put on hold.

SCHEDULE CHANGES. The protest wasn't led by any union group. Rather, it was instigated by two department managers, Guillermo Vasquez and Rosie Larosa. The department managers were not affected directly by the changes, but they felt that the company had gone too far with certain new policies. Among them were moves to cut the hours of full-time employees from 40 hours a week to 32 hours, along with a corresponding cut in wages, and to compel workers to be available for shifts around the clock.

http://businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/oct2006/db20061017_601244.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_top+story

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Celebrate small victories when they happen! :toast:

[rurallib]

1. If I ever hear of that happening near me I am there in a heartbeat

to support the workers! Way to go!

[mark414]

2. way to go workers!

and way to go managers too!

:yourock:

[ruiner4u]

7. don't confuse 'department managers' with management.

I worked for that god awful company for 5 years. The last 2 years i was the 'department manager' for mensware.. a department manager is floor help, stocker, and scapegoat from 7am-4pm.

its hourly, its crappy, and it requires one person to do the job of a few people...


that was the worst job in my life, and also the worst employer.

[Booster]

3. I've been waiting for Wal-Mart employees to gather up their

balls and say ENOUGH. Yeah, for this bunch and especially for the Dept Mgrs.

[Warpy]

4. Rotating shifts kill people

If they want people to work nights, they have to keep them on nights.

They needed to walk out over this one.

Walmart seems to think they can treat low wage employees like hospitals treat nurses.

[ourbluenation]

5. a big ol kick and rec for this one

:kick:

power to the people

[Maraya1969]

6. There is power in numbers and Walmart has a lot of people. AND

more people are shunning the place since they are learning about how Walmart runs. Again greed and need of power will be Walmart's downfall unless they change things.

From the article:

"Wal-Mart executives have recently told Wall Street analysts that the company wants to transform its workforce from 20% part-time to 40%. Recently, it was also reported that older employees in some stores who had back and leg problems were barred from using stools on which they had sat for years (see BusinessWeek.com,"


That goes against the American with Disabilities act.

[China_cat]

11. The ADA is as dead as Bush's brain

and has been for at least 6 years.

Nobody pays any attention to it any more. Rent a wheelchair or a mobility scooter for a day and find out for yourself.

[Mr_Spock]

8. Glad WalMart is finally facing the music

WalMart free for 2.5 years here :D

[smtpgirl]

9. I hate that fucking store anyway,

proud ex-Wal-mart shopper for 10 years!!!

[amitten]

10. When you're pissed at the guys at the top, just remember:

They are always outnumbered.

[femrap]

12. This will mark the beginning! nt

[Synnical]

13. According to the Miami Herald - it was a "mistake"

Edit for formatting and to send a "Hell YES" to Wal-Mart workers!

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/15776024.htm

WAL-MART
Mistake prompts impromptu protest at Hialeah Gardens Wal-Mart
A scheduling mistake led dozens of workers at a Hialeah Gardens Wal-Mart to walk off the job in protest of insufficient hours on Monday.
BY NIALA BOODHOO

[e-mail]

In an unusual spontaneous protest, dozens of Wal-Mart employees in Hialeah Gardens walked off the job Monday morning after a schedule was posted in error that would have reduced their hours.

At 9 a.m., many of the employees on the morning shift clocked out in protest, then called local radio station WXDJ-FM (95.7) El Zol to tell them what they were doing, said one employee. The worker, who asked not to be named, said that some employees' schedules were cut from 40 hours to nine hours a week.

By Monday afternoon, about 50 to 60 workers were still outside the store. One person held a handmade sign that said: ``Wal-Mart, we are human, we want respect.''

Michael Mills, a Wal-Mart spokesman in Atlanta, said there was a scheduling error that happened at the Supercenter at 9300 NW 77th Ave. Many workers did go back inside to meet with the district manager and other higher-ups about the schedule, he said.

''It was a mistake, we've corrected it, and we're taking appropriate actions to make sure it doesn't happen again,'' repored Mills, adding Wal-Mart is making sure ``we communicate with our employees in a fair and consistent manner.''

Union-backed groups such as wakeupwalmart.com have been organizing protests around the country to draw attention to their efforts to create unions and get the retailer to improve its wages and healthcare coverage.

But organizers at wakeupwalmart.com and the Wal-Mart Workers Association said they did not have a role in Monday's protest.

''I've never seen Wal-Mart workers on their own stage a revolt,'' said Chris Kofinis, a spokesman for wakeupwalmart.com, who added that the rare protest spoke to the ''anger and frustration'' felt by workers.

Last week, the company announced a new attendance policy that requires workers call a toll-free number when they are sick and penalizes them for numerous unexcused absences, the Wall Street Journal reported.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

20. The "glitch" was fixed

They probably fired them all.

I bet Wal-Mart is debating if they should keep firing squads on hand to gun down crowds of angry workers in the future from staging revolt.

[orleans]

14. isn't walmart buying china? when is that company going to die? n/t

[Selatius]

15. Wildcat strikes are the only things workers have here

I support more wildcat strikes. Strikes sanctioned by the workers themselves in a collective fashion. It is a form of direct action.

Florida is a right-to-work state, so labor unions already have a millstone around their necks from the very start.

[eleny]

16. They want their employees so under the thumb

It's disgusting.

But the workers action is the best news we've had today. Like femrap said up thread - this is the beginning. I hope their solidarity spreads like wildfire.

[upi402]

17. FUCK YEAH! FUCK YEAH!

200 STRONG!

Next you'll tell me China insists on WalMart treating workers to standard...

[and-justice-for-all]

18. That is some of the most degrading policies I have seen...

..Thats fucking pathetic, I would have walked out too.
Be availiable around the clock after they cut my pay and hours??!! FUCK THAT!

[OnionPatch]

19. Woo Hoo!

Yes! :bounce: