Via D.C. Jobs With Justice.
Hundreds of people marched from Union Station to one of D.C.’s first Walmart locations this morning to protest low wages and inconsistent hours at the big box retailer.
The demonstrations began Wednesday when Walmart associates staged a sit-in at the H Street NW store, with tape on their mouths and signs that read “Walmart: Stop Abusing Your Power.” Employees at nearly 800 stores are seeking $15 an hour and access to full-time employment, according to labor group OUR Walmart.
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Nineteen employees at today’s D.C. protest, on what is traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year, planned to deliver their demands to management. But as of 9:30 a.m., the doors to the H Street NW store were locked, according to AFL-CIO community affiliate Working America and others on the scene.
“Perception is never reality with labor unions,” Amanda Henneberg, Walmart spokesperson, said in an email. “The crowds are made up of paid union demonstrators and they are not representative of our 1.3 million associates across the country. This is our busiest time of the year. We’re excited to kickoff the holiday season and are focused on serving our customers. It’s unfortunate that this group attempts to disrupt the holiday spirit to push their agenda. The reality is that Walmart is focused every day on providing our associates with opportunities for job growth.”
D.C. Jobs for Justice organizer Ari Schwartz countered Walmart’s statement.
“The truth is that today at H Street and last night at Georgia Avenue, actual employees of both stores — plus dozens of other associates from Maryland and Virginia — brought a letter to management with their demands,” he said via email. “Today Walmart managers chose to lock the associates out rather than honor their ‘open door policy.’
“In both cases, hundreds of D.C. residents accompanied the workers because they heard that on Wednesday, when workers went on strike at H Street, Walmart managers illegally threatened to fire them in retaliation. D.C. residents want DC jobs to be good jobs and Walmart is the biggest obstacle to that in our city.”
Two Walmart locations are currently open in D.C. — one on H Street NW, the other on Georgia Avenue NW — with three others planned. The big box retailer’s move into D.C. was subject to controversy, when the D.C. Council unsuccessfully attempted to mandate Walmart’s minimum wage at $12.50 an hour.
