Black Friday is the day retailers spend millions to get you into their stores. This year, consider spending a few hours standing outside the doors one of the world's largest and greediest retailers with their employees as they protest low wages and unfair working conditions.
Give your support to the workers whose full-time paychecks buy them the title "working poor," many of whom will need some form of public assistance to support their families.
Stand with these people who have been trying to organize into a union for years, whose efforts have been thwarted by greedy corporate titans at every turn.
Support these people who had to give up time with their families to work on Thanksgiving Day.
Find a rally in your area by visiting this page and typing in your Zip Code.
There are details about this effort on this website, along with other ways you can help these workers organize and get the respect they deserve; write letters to the editors, share artwork and graphics designed by professionals and donated for this effort. Tweet and share this information on whichever social media network you use.
A "Community Call to Action" from the organizers of "Our Walmart," explains why this effort needs our support and participation:
Across the country, Walmart employs 1.4 million people. We are not just the Associates that you see in stores, we are moms and dads, sons and daughters, husbands and wives working hard to support our families. We have been speaking out for good jobs with decent pay, regular hours, affordable healthcare and respect, but instead of working with us to make changes, Walmart has attempted to silence and retaliate against us for speaking out. Our jobs have been threatened, our hours cut, our schedules changed. Some of us have even been fired. We will not be silenced. Throughout the holiday season, including Black Friday, we will be standing up for an end to the retaliation against workers who speak out for what's right for our families, our communities and our country, and we hope that you will stand with us.
It is not an easy decision, but without an end to the retaliation, Walmart workers across the country will be walking off the job in protest, and we hope you will join us in creative, non-violent action in solidarity with our strike. We ask that supporters take action that spreads the word about our strikes and demonstrates to Walmart a wave of support for workers who are speaking out.
WALMART'S ARROGANCE IS EFFECTING THEIR BOTTOM LINE
Walmart has been caught red-handed using bribery and other tactics to open stores in other countries:
Walmart (WMT) announced Thursday that an internal investigation into bribery accusations, originating in Mexico, has broadened to include operations in Brazil, China and India. The disclosure came in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing tied to third-quarter financial results.
Their corporate reporting claims that the
investigations and ensuing cost for legal defense contrinbuted to Walmartslipping from number one to number two in the Fortune 500 this year.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES ON "SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY"
Who knows the true reason Walmart's sales have slipped; it would be nice to think it is because consumers have come to equate Wal-mart with unfair labor practices, cheap goods, and the fact that when a Walmart comes to town, the small businesses struggle to stay afloat.
This year, join the protest rallies outside of Walmart stores on Friday, then head out Saturday to shop at those small businesses in your communities. These locally owned businesses represent the true American dream, they are the businesses owned by people in your own community who pay taxes in your city and town and who employ your neighbors. They need your support this Small Business Saturday and all year.
A recent article in USA Today Business describes the effort as the little guy's chance to get their piece of the American pie:
Small businesses can't usually compete with big-box stores' big sales on Black Friday, so many hope to use Small Business Saturday to get a piece of the action during the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
Small Business Saturday is the most important shopping day of the season for 36% of independent retailers, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Only 24% say that day is Black Friday.
The bottom line is - Walmart earns it's investors and executives billions of dollars a year. They do it on the backs of their employees and at the cost of local businesses. Don't give them your business until they give in and allow their workers to organize.
Skip Walmart this holiday season.