On Thursday, November 30th, fast food workers in New York staged the largest ever strike against the behemoth industry, demanding a minimum wage of $15 an hour and the right to form an independent union. The strike was bold and courageous but should come as no surprise. In These Times reports on the extensive organizing campaigns undertaken by low-wage workers in the past year:
“Before Thanksgiving, fast food and retail workers in the posh North Michigan Avenue shopping district in Chicago launched a new union with protest marches. This year, warehouse workers, mainly for Walmart, have expanded organizing and conducted successful strikes. On Black Friday, roughly 500 Walmart workers nationwide refused to report for work and protested alongside tens of thousands of supporters. Retail workers in New York have launched a fight for "sustainable scheduling," and car washers from Los Angeles to New York have joined or launched unions.”
The Wal-Mart Walkout
This Thanksgiving, the Waltons had less to be thankful for than in years past. Black Friday, the single biggest shopping day of the year, saw hundreds of Wal-Mart workers walk-out nationwide. 1,000+ Wal-Mart stores nationwide saw rallies in solidarity with the Wal-Mart workers strike, including large rallies at Wal-Mart stores in Fishkill and Kingston, NY. This follows an October 1st strike which shut down Wal-Mart’s largest distribution center in North America and won major concessions.
The actions were undoubtedly a success in raising consciousness and gaining popular support for the demands of Wal-Mart workers. However, it is unclear whether or not the strike had a major impact on Wal-Mart’s Black Friday sales. Many workers sympathetic with the strike found it impossible to overlook Wal-Mart’s Black Friday discounts as they were themselves grossly underpaid.
Nevertheless, the popular sentiment in favor of the striking workers was, well, striking. As I stood along the side of the road with a small group of fellow supporters we heard almost non-stop honking and were given numerous raised fists and thumbs-ups (of course, there were the few indignant drivers who told us to “get a job”).
Some of America’s most exploited workers have gained broad support among the American public. We must continue to stand in solidarity with these striking workers with whatever means possible. Let’s make sure Wal-Mart executives are the first to blink.
Local Solidarity
The Hudson Valley Radical will keep our readers up to date should the fast-food actions spread to our area, or if any more Wal-Mart actions take place locally. When workers strike, may it be our instinct to walk the picket line with them. Solidarity!
The Hudson Valley Radical will keep our readers up to date should the fast-food actions spread to our area, or if any more Wal-Mart actions take place locally. When workers strike, may it be our instinct to walk the picket line with them. Solidarity!
Get involved with the fast food workers' campaign by visiting their website at FastFoodForward.org
Schuyler,
ReplyDeleteThis great! Well-written and informative.