In a surprising announcement last week, Walmart announced that they are raising the wages of half a million of their workers. This, after at least two decades of Walmart workers fighting for change at the world’s largest employer.
Walmart announced that this April workers will get a raise to $9 an hour, and in February, 2016 a raise to $10 an hour.
This is a huge step in a long struggle for Walmart workers, OUR Walmart, and the United Food and Commercial Workers. It is a great victory won through persistent struggle.
But it is pitifully small for the world’s largest employer and one of the most fantastically rich families in the world–probably the employer and family doing the most to drive the global economic race to the bottom.
None of this is to minimize the significance of the workers’ victory. But if Walmart truly cared about its workers, the corporation would recognize the workers’ legal right to join together in unions. They would make certain no workers are being forced to work off the clock, they would give those who need them more hours, and source more of their goods from the United States.
Let us all continue to demand real justice at Walmart. Let us take heart that the Fight for 15 can succeed in raising wages to $15 an hour at fast food restaurants.
Let us continue to struggle for union rights and labor rights.
And let us continue to raise our voices, mobilize and take our feet to the street against inequality.
Image source: @AFLCIO