UFCW on Walmart at the White House

[Omaha Steve]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 20, 2011

A STATEMENT FROM JOE HANSEN, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION CHALLENGING WHITE HOUSE: TELL WALMART TO CREATE GOOD JOBS AND END THE POVERTY CYCLE

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The following statement was issued today by Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), in advance of an event in the White House in which First Lady Michelle Obama recognizes retailers who are willing to expand their business into underserved areas. Walmart is among the attendees.

“The First Lady’s commitment to addressing childhood obesity in the U.S. is laudable and the UFCW commends her for her enthusiasm for such a worthy endeavor. But with income disparity between the rich and the poor at more extreme levels than during the Great Depression, Walmart must be held accountable for its track record of lower standards for millions of retail workers.

“Walmart is more responsible than any other private employer in our country for creating poverty-level jobs that leave workers unable to purchase healthy food or provide a good life for their families.

“I met Walmart Associate Girshreila Green last month who told me that she got her job at the inner-city Crenshaw Walmart in Los Angeles through the welfare-to-work program. And after three years of work and an excellent employment record at what she calls the “ghetto Walmart,” Girshreila still has a welfare card in her pocket, right along with her Walmart I.D. and Walmart discount card.

“There is no economic justification that our nation’s largest private employer should pay wages so low that any of its employees qualify for public assistance. But the fact that tens of thousands of Walmart associates qualify and utilize food stamps, Medicare, and Medicaid is reason enough that the White House should join with our union and tell Walmart – enough is enough.

“Our national economic crisis is made worse by companies like Walmart suppressing wages for its 1.4 million hourly workers who live and work in communities across the country.

“Walmart claims it wants to open stores in urban markets like Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and other major cities. Workers, community leaders and consumers in each of those cities have called on Walmart to commit to providing good jobs that pay wages high enough to improve the lives of workers in those cities. The fact is, when Walmart opens in a community, it replaces what were good jobs with poverty-level ones. Walmart continues to drive the cycle of poverty by lowering wage rates and preventing associates from lifting themselves out of economic insecurity.

“Millions of grocery workers serve communities of every income level and hold good jobs with fair wages, affordable health care, and a voice on the job. The White House should laud employers who are fueling economic recovery by creating good jobs where workers can afford to take care of their families and buy the healthy food their children deserve.”

-30-

Videos of Grishreila Green speaking out about her experience as a Walmart associate can be found here: http://vimeo.com/26640913 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTEuBHSvfFg



The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, visit www.ufcw.org.

Making Change at Walmart seeks to promote the American values of equality, dignity and respect in the workplace. The campaign is making change by working directly with Walmart Associates to claim the respect on the job they deserve, holding Walmart corporate managers accountable to hourly employees and the public for their practices and joining with community leaders in major cities across America to make sure that any new jobs offered by Walmart meet strong standards for healthy, growing communities.

[WCGreen]

1. We are subsidizing the Walton family by giving Public Money to keep

the wages of their workers low...

[The Big Vetolski]

2. The fact that the First Lady in a Democratic White House is having

anything whatsoever to do with Walmart should be a HUGE wakeup call for those still entranced by Obama's cult of personality. Walmart? Walmart bullies municipalities into giving them huge tax breaks so it can "create jobs" in their communities. These breaks commonly include an exemption from property taxes for years, no contribution by Walmart for putting in service roads or installing utilities, and allowing Walmart to collect and KEEP local sales taxes.

Then Walmart pays its employees so little they qualify for food stamps and Medicaid. This means that the taxpayers further subsidize Walmart by paying for their workers' food and health care.

And Michelle Let-them-eat-arugula Obama praises these corporate pirates for allowing the taxpayers to finance them opening stores in low-income areas? This is outrageous behavior by the First Lady. At least Laura Bush focused on libraries and guacamole.

Michelle speaks of food deserts in the inner cities but does not advocate actually addressing that problem effectively. How about some freaking living wage JOBS in those areas, Michelle? Or how about subsidizing small local businesses such as butchers and bakers and green grocers instead of Walmart?

I guess the latter can't donate enough to her husband's re-election campaign.

[Brickbat]

3. Right fucking on.

And a belated welcome to DU.