Refuse to shop at any store that forces their employees to work overnight shifts this Black Friday

[Bjorn Against]

This year several retailers will be opening up earlier than ever for Black Friday and forcing their employees to work overnight shifts. Most of these employees were never told that they would have to work overnight hours when they were hired for the jobs, and some of them may have health conditions that make it dangerous to deprive themselves of sleep. Overnight shifts are very demanding on the body and it is not totally healthy for anyone to work them, but it is especially unhealthy for people who are not given a chance to adjust their bodies to such a schedule.

This year stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Kohl's, Macy's, and Toy's R Us will be forcing their employees to work overnight shifts. Wal-Mart is the worst of the bunch, they will be staying open all day Thanksgiving and starting their Black Friday specials at 10:00 pm. Their employees will not receive any sort of holiday pay.

Many of the workers at these stores were hired for the job on the understanding that they would have Thanksgiving off work, to not only force them to work the holiday but also force them to work an overnight shift is a major violation of a worker's basic rights.

Any store that forces their employees to work overnight shifts they never agreed to need to be boycotted, they need to be boycotted not just on Black Friday but throughout the entire holiday season. There are still a number of local businesses that would appreciate your holiday shopping, and you do not need to spend any more on Christmas gifts at local retailers than you would at a big chain store. There are plenty of unique gifts out there that can be found at a reasonable cost at local businesses, if we spend our money locally we will have a greater impact on the economy and we will be supporting the 99% instead of the 1%.

We need to support labor and the labor conditions for retail workers are terrible right now. Very few retail employees belong to unions and they have no one to represent them. These forced overnight shifts are just one more argument as to why the retail sector so desperately needs to be unionized. If Wal-Mart and Target workers had a union these early openings would not be happening, the corporate executives are able to make these decisions because the employees have absolutely no say in their working conditions. Until the workers have their own union to stand up for them, we need to stand up for them by refusing to do business with any company we see abusing their employees.

[Name removed]

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[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. For Walmart it is pure greed (I hope they make the board of directors work too)

I bet all the big bosses of Walmart will be tucked up in bed while the surfs are made to work overnight? This is pure greed. Perhaps Walmart should be made to donate half its profit to fund local services.

[Missy Vixen]

14. Last night's Walmart commercials touted they're now opening at 10 PM

In other words, midnight wasn't early enough for them...

I hope this backfires in a big way, but I have a bad feeling it won't. There's too many people that would like to have something for their families on Christmas morning, and will be taking advantage of the sales as a result.

[Maine-ah]

20. what they are doing is a safer choice

I dislike WM as much as anyone else, but they are staggering their deals this year. So at 10pm, is toys, electronics at midnight...and something else around 8 am. I think it's a good idea and may help with the normal shit storm that happens every black friday, and may even help avoid injuries that we have seen in the past.

[blueamy66]

3. Who the heck wants to go shopping on Friday anyway?

I'm sleeping in, lighting a fire, drinking hot cocoa, reading books/magazines and watching stupid tv. Now that is my idea of a 4 day weekend!!!

[spooky3]

5. It's even worse than that, though. The stores are making employees come in on THURSDAY night.

I hope the unions can make progress in organizing these workers.

If that can't happen the best we can do is shop during HUMANE hours and not reward the business for making employees work on holidays or overnight shifts. If it isn't profitable for them to be open during those times, then they will give it up eventually.

[blueamy66]

19. I agree.

That is also a reason why I won't go.

I kinda got into it with a co-worker yesterday about this....but he is adamant about going. They have everything as it is.....why go buy more crap? Whatever.

[Raine]

4. I NEVER shop at those stores and I certainly NEVER shop

the day after Thanksgiving.

[roody]

9. +1000

[femmocrat]

15. Same here.

The day after Thanksgiving is MY day to relax after hosting the holiday get-together on Thursday!

[csziggy]

6. Occupy Tallahassee is having a counter to Black Friday

Really Really Free Market – Black Friday 11/25
Posted on November 22, 2011 by occupyadmin

People of Tallahassee!
In opposition to the ideals of Black Friday, Occupy Tallahassee will be holding a Really Really Free Market on Friday, November 25 at 4 am. A Really Really Free Market consists of people donating unwanted items for others to take. No one is required to bring something in order to take something. This exchange promotes reuse of items, rather than consumption and the eventual sending of things to the landfill. This is disruptive to the one percent, because it moves exchange outside of the market. If you would like to donate items, please email [e-mail], and we can pick items up. Otherwise, donations can be brought to All Saints Cafe on Railroad Ave and dropped off in the Occupy Tallahassee donation box.

Friday, we’ll bring the Really Really Free Market to be set up at the Governor’s Square Mall, along with coffee for shoppers. We’ll also have fliers promoting local business and free options for Christmas gifts.

Thank you for your support.
Solidarity,
Occupy Tallahassee

More: http://www.occupytally.org/2011/11/22/really-really-free-market-black-friday-nov-25th/

I wish I had found about it earlier - I don't have time to dig stuff out or to get it to them. I hope they do it again, maybe for closer to Christmas, or next year.

[JNelson6563]

10. Brilliant idea!

Would love to see this replicated across the country!

Julie

[bengalherder]

17. +1000!

We should be hosting these all over the country!

[Bjorn Against]

7. I want to make one more point...

This is not just an abuse on workers rights, this goes against everything Thanksgiving is supposed to be about.

I was always taught from the time I was a child that Thanksgiving is about being thankful for what you have, going on a shopping binge on Thanksgiving goes against everything that the holiday is about.

[elfin]

8. Same here, however

I will shop during "small store Saturday" far away from the big boxes to support local small businesses.

I hope that campaign shows success.

Deliberately going to them on other days as well. Have to travel to go to an independent book store, but I will.

[saras]

11. It's kind of like refusing to drive to Belize to shop. It's a holiday - why would I SHOP?

[cyglet]

12. I hate all of the above

but I'd never shop Black Friday or anywhere near.

[HipChick]

13. Behind the Customer Service folk, IT people are also working

Wal-Mart do not have their IT/Computer systems outsourced...systems have to be run 24/7

[bengalherder]

16. K&R

What if they had a Black Friday and nobody came? :shrug

[BiggJawn]

18. Shop "Local Saturday"

Screw Black Friday, wait till Saturday and patronize what few mom-and-pops you have left in your town.

And I had to work holidays for YEARS as the sole control operator of a TV station. BFD. Holidays and night shifts. Only drove my first ex-wife to fuck around on me...

[catzies]

21. You had me at "Refuse to shop....this Black Friday." n/t