Workers Strike vs. Walmart’s Exploitation

WASHINGTON, DC — MARYLAND

Washington, DC, November 23 — Over 400 workers took to the streets here to protest slave-labor conditions at Walmart, the world’s largest retailer and third largest corporation. Walmart has branches around the world and over two million wage-slaves working for them. Fiercely anti-union, Walmart systematically keeps workers as low-wage part-timers to avoid paying any benefits, forcing workers onto food stamps and Medicaid to survive. If black and white workers fought a civil war to end racist chattel slavery over 150 years ago, it is high time to fight a revolutionary war for communism to end racist wage-slavery!

Such a revolutionary line was not, however, the order of the day except for the message brought to various rallies in the U.S by the Progressive Labor Party and its friends, distributing CHALLENGE to participants in the various actions around town and making several new contacts interested in revolution.

Marchers Confront Bosses, Cops

In the largest action in the DC area, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 organized a fleet of six buses at 7:30 a.m. to take unionists, community residents, and students to the Landover Hills Walmart in Maryland. This Walmart serves largely black and Latino residents and has fewer products and a lower quality than other Walmarts, typically how capitalist chain retailers treat their customers in a structurally racist manner. Marchers circled the store, chanting boldly against the mistreatment of its workers. They were quickly met by Walmart managers, backed by over 10 squad cars of police. 

The bosses declared that everyone would be charged with trespassing if they didn’t leave right away. Marchers responded with a brief prayer circle and then a march back to the buses in too quick a retreat, given their numbers. 

One bus travelled to another Walmart in Severna, Maryland where over 30 activists infiltrated the store and, at a given time, came together inside the store for an Occupy-style mic check. They loudly denounced Walmart. The workers were all smiles and the customers were very supportive — and then management and the cops aggressively intervened to throw out the activists. 

Workers Refuse to Back Off

In a separate action at the Walmart in Germantown, Maryland, over 25 unionists (machinists, teamsters, transit, and food workers) arrived to pass out leaflets and secure signatures on petitions. The UFCW again insisted on no confrontation, even instructing UFCW staff to take pictures of anyone “creating a disturbance” (i.e., getting militant against the boss) and report them to the police! The managers streamed out of the store demanding that the protesters leave, but the workers refused and continued their protest. The police said, in this case, that, since workers were not doing anything illegal, they would not move against the small group. Again, CHALLENGEs were distributed and new contacts made.

Finally, at the Clinton, Maryland Walmart, a team of three including friends of the PLP arrived to see if there was any action there. The cops were ready and primed at this site, aggressively confronting the team with hard stares. We were obviously guilty of SWB — Standing While Black. When one of our team approached the door, the manager came out with his walkie talkie blaring, so fearful was he of any possible labor action and fully determined to aggressively push back against any opposition, however slight.

Only a handful of Walmart workers participated in any of these actions. If the UFCW and its OUR Walmart organizing group expect to make progress in unionizing Walmart more broadly, a strong base must be built on a grassroots basis, store by store.  

Unionized or not, workers need to fight the entire system of capitalism and its racist structure. Unionized workers are being savagely attacked by a gang-up of the bosses and the union misleaders throughout the country, so bolder revolutionary organizing is a must in the face of severe economic crisis.  From the contacts made today and the reinforcement of the relationship of PL’ers with their friends in the grassroots of the unions and Occupy DC, a growing revolutionary struggle will be possible in the coming period.

CHICAGO

CHICAGO, November 23 — A coalition of unions with the acronym OUR Walmart, (Organization United for Respect at Walmart) organized several hundred workers to picket at various Walmarts on Black Friday. Over the years, Walmart workers in the U.S. have tried to unionize but have met with fierce resistance. The bosses have consistently responded with reduced hours, firings and other hostile retaliation. In the face of this abuse, workers valiantly organized a strike action on the biggest shopping day of the year, without an official union.

Many corporations operate in the red (losing money) all year until Black Friday, when companies start to get into the black (turning a profit) because millions of workers begin their holiday shopping.

Lower Prices = Super-Exploitation

Each member of the Walton family (owners of Walmart) has amassed billions in wealth by paying retail workers poverty wages and international factory workers even less. The average Walmart worker only makes $8.81 an hour, and as many as 80% need food stamps. In many states, Walmart workers are the top recipients of Medicaid. Meanwhile, Walmart receives more than $1.2 billion in tax breaks, free land and other government “handouts.” If that wasn’t bad enough, Walmart factory workers in China and other countries face deadly working conditions for unlivable wages and no benefits (NY Times). Walmart is also notorious for using child labor abroad.

Turn Black Friday Into Red Friday

The Progressive Labor Party supports Walmart workers in their struggle for livable wages and acceptable working conditions. Unfortunately, calling for the unionization of one corporation is not enough to end the racist, sexist exploitation that is the foundation of capitalism. Workers must see this and other strikes as opportunities to train ourselves to fight our class enemy, the capitalists. Other workers should honor the Walmart picket lines, discuss the fight back with others and call for other workers to strike in solidarity. Ultimately, a revolution must occur where workers seize state power from the murderous, profit-driven bosses. When we establish communism, each worker’s labor and input will be invaluable in the advancement of society. Join PLP.

LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles, November 23 — When the Walmart workers arrived, the anticipation turned to excitement. Weeks prior, PL comrades met insurgent Walmart workers who had organized a walkout at their Southern California store (see CHALLENGE, 10/31). After several visits, PL organized a BBQ for them as they prepared for the “Black Friday” strike actions that took place last week. These Walmart workers striking against the world’s largest retailer and private employer create the opportunity for PL to build class consciousness, an important step towards developing a communist outlook. 

A comrade welcomed the workers and began the discussion by linking their struggle to that of teachers, students, airport workers, bakers, miners and all workers under attack by capitalism in crisis. When the workers spoke, our group of about 25, who participated in the BBQ despite the rain, learned first-hand about the retaliation Walmart unleashes on their “associates” who are told they are a part of the Walmart “family.” 

Workers have been written up, fired, harassed and had their hours cut, all publicly for customers and coworkers to witness. “It all happened out on the floor of the store, not even in the manager’s office,” said one of the workers. 

Building up to the Black Friday strike, part of a strike wave against the giant retailer, Walmart took an aggressive stance. In addition to their policy of humiliation and intimidation, the company also filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, calling the workers’ actions illegal and sent out a memo to managers that advised them to threaten protesters who “trespass” with arrest. 

A Latina worker central to the organizing asserted: “We make Walmart work! Without us there would be nothing! And to be treated like this?” Another shared that many coworkers, including her, are unable to afford healthcare costs due to part-time hours, low wages and expensive co-pays. Workers with chronic illnesses, women, and black and Latino workers bear this disproportionately.

The week following the PL BBQ, several hundred workers (including warehouse workers from the Inland Empire where this fight was initiated), students and community members attended actions, including pickets, marches and civil disobedience, that were organized by various labor unions in front of three different Walmarts in Southern California. PL participated in these actions, providing water and offering healthcare support for the picket, in addition to a communist analysis of the fight against capitalist exploitation. 

These recent actions against the giant Walmart can serve as an inspiration to workers everywhere. Through militant strikes and walkouts, working-class people become aware of their collective power and learn that fighting back against exploitation, racism and sexism in the workplace works. Organizing together and fighting together works. Communists agree, but we extend that analysis to all of society. One worker stated, “I can defend myself and speak for myself. But I am not heard. It is only when we stand up together that we are heard and make a difference.” More than anyone, communists agree.    

BOSTON

Boston, November 23 — Six members and friends of the PLP, including two students, leafleted and distributed CHALLENGE in the Walmart parking lot, mostly to customers. The response was generally supportive. The team renewed relations with an old friend who was shopping there and who had marched on May Day with PLP a few years ago. He was eager to get back in touch. Other responses from the people the team met included “Yes, it would be better if workers ran everything” and “Yes, we need to kill all those bosses”. Many customers, knowing how abused the workers were, nevertheless felt trapped by having to shop there.