Walmart Strikers March Through Downtown DC
Friday, June 6, 2014(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Walmart strikers, backed by hundreds of
supporters, marched through downtown DC at midday on Friday to protest the
mega-retailer's ongoing attacks on workers who speak up. The festive
demonstrators
gathered in front of Union Station as curious tourists watched, including a
group of monks in saffron robes, and then marched to the Walmart at H and
1st streets,
chanting “Walmart workers under attack! What do we do? Stand up, fight
back!” and
"We want justice, We want respect." At the Walmart, security guards
kept a nervous eye on things as the crowd of over 100 gathered around the main
entrance and attempted to deliver a letter to store management. "Is it too
much to ask that Walmart workers are treated fairly?" asked AFL-CIO
Executive Vice President Tefere Gebre, while UFCW Local 400 President Mark
Federici lauded the Walmart strikers for their “courage and bravery.” Rev.
Graylan Hagler of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ
challenged
the mega-retailer to reveal “how many good jobs, full-time jobs, have really
been created for DC residents,” as Walmart and local political leaders
promised
when the DC Walmart stores were approved. The DC demonstration was part of a
series of similar actions across the country last week leading up to
Walmart’s
shareholder meeting on Friday.
-
report/photos by Chris Garlock
Check out @dclabor
and #walmartstrikers on Twitter for more
photos and tweets.
CLICK
HERE to see a short video of the event.