Walmart Workers Hold Historic Organizing Meeting With Congress

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Nearly 100 Walmart workers from across the country met with Congressional leaders last Wednesday for a national organizing meeting to brief Senators about wages, benefits and the Employee Free Choice Act. As part of their campaign for a union voice on the job, the workers urged lawmakers to level the playing field for working people by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act. “I made the trip into Washington DC to stand with my fellow Walmart workers and to urge my Senators to pass the Employee Free Choice Act,” said Texas Walmart worker Dominique Sloan, “We need change in this country. All you have to do is look at how all the money goes to CEOs. But when it comes to workers, it’s always the same; no health care or health care that’s too expensive and low wages. We need to change that.” A press release from the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) said “Despite Walmart’s well-documented history of anti-working family activities, workers say they are excited by the election of Barack Obama, excited that the President says it’s not too much to ask Walmart to pay decent wages and provide good health care, and excited that the Employee Free Choice Act can help bring the change that helps workers and makes Walmart live up to its responsibilities.”  Walmart Workers for Change – a project of UFCW - is a new campaign made up of thousands of Walmart workers joining together to form a union and negotiate better benefits, higher wages, and more opportunity for a better future. Click here to view a new video about Walmart workers and their struggle on Youtube.