Walmart Associates Sought, Got Walmart Executives' Attention Over a Lack of Respectful Treatment

Organization United for Respect offers to Help Walmart Become a Better Company

BENTONVILLE, Ark., June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Yesterday nearly a hundred Walmart Associates from across the United States walked up to the door of their company's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., and asked company executives to honor its "open door policy" to hear employee concerns. The group specifically called on the company to begin a new era of acting to correct employees' concerns, which range from a lack of respectful treatment in their stores to wages, hours, scheduling, retaliation for speaking up and other long-troubling practices by the country's largest private employer.  Because of the group's unprecedented action, Walmart's Karen Casey, senior vice president, Global Labor relations, met with employees and pledged on camera that there would be no retaliation against employees working for change.  

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110617/DC21902)

"This meeting was a good first step," said Gloria Taylor, of Miami, Fla., and a member of the group.  "The real question now is if Walmart will take its Associates' concerns seriously and partner with us to improve conditions, and in turn make the company better.  It was clear to us that management in Bentonville is out of touch with the reality of what's going on in their stores."

The group, Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) is a growing nationwide movement of hourly employees from DC to Dallas and Los Angeles to Milwaukee.  It is the largest-ever movement of Walmart's U.S. Associates to seek improvement in their workplace.

"Yesterday we demonstrated to Associates that OUR Walmart is an important vehicle for us to build a better future," Taylor continued. "Walmart is now at a cross roads. They can choose to partner with Associates through OUR Walmart to develop solutions or turn a blind eye to our concerns. This company has become unwieldy.  An Associate-led organization gives Walmart the opportunity to really understand and address what is happening at the store level."

"Neither my fellow Associates nor our employer can afford to lose the momentum coming out of yesterday," Taylor said.  "We just took a first major step in building a lasting partnership with our company to make Walmart the best it can be. We asked Walmart directly for respect for all Associates because its time for change, and we have a glimmer of hope after Walmart executives met with us on that historic day.  Now is the time for even more Associates to seize this moment and join us in achieving a workplace that respects employees.  We take Ms. Casey at her word that there will no longer be retaliation against employees seeking change and that the company will work with us.  We are just getting warmed up."

The group presented Walmart with a "Declaration of Respect," a document detailing the aims of the movement by employees.  It was written yesterday when representatives of the group met in person for the first time, after months of quietly organizing online, over email, Facebook and phone, and at community centers, churches, and local eateries.  The Declaration is available at www.ourwalmart.org/our-walmart-declaration/.

The Associates who spoke out for respect at company headquarters were joined by allies from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Jobs with Justice, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Domestic Workers United and others.

Organization United for Respect at Walmart can be found on the Web at www.ForRespect.org. B-roll of this event is available upon request.

SOURCE Organization United for Respect at Walmart